


Colder Than Steel

by 99griffon



Category: Mumintroll | Moomins Series - Tove Jansson, 楽しいムーミン一家 | Moomin (Anime 1990)
Genre: Crimes & Criminals, F/M, Family, Friendship, Gun Violence, Hiding, Hunters, Hurt/Comfort, I didn't mean for my ships to happen, Kidnapping, M/M, Violence, Whump, like I just couldn't help myself, very lowkey ships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-08-29
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:47:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 35
Words: 72,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24600031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/99griffon/pseuds/99griffon
Summary: A moomin is priceless. They have such great hearts and wonderful talents. However, something else their known for is their lovely fur. The beautiful white fur of a moomin is commonly known to warm and pleasant-- especially soft if taken care of properly. However, it is recognized that a moomin, like countless other creatures, is a person. Their coats are their own and always will be. But to some, the rules don't always seem to apply.And so the hunters have come.
Relationships: Lilla My | Little My & Snusmumriken | Snufkin, Muminmamman | Moominmamma & Snusmumriken | Snufkin, Muminmamman | Moominmamma/Muminpappan | Moominpappa, Mumintrollet | Moomintroll & Snusmumriken | Snufkin, Mumintrollet | Moomintroll/Snusmumriken | Snufkin, Mymlans dotter | The Mymble’s Daughter/Too-ticki | Too-Ticky
Comments: 86
Kudos: 135





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Oowee, I've been writing this for a while! I've gotten to thirty-four pages since I've had a lot of free time haha  
> This literally came to me in a dream so like, hopefully I've refined the ideas enough to make some amount of sense? Most of the relationships are familial and friendship but I accidentally let my Snufmin slip into the broth. I went ahead and tagged Too-Ticky/The Mymble's Daughter because I have yet to know if I'll accidentally drop some of that in too!
> 
> I hope you enjoy! <3

Snufkin took a deep breath, trudging along the forest trails up to the Lonely Mountain. He felt a bit of pain in his chest at having to leave Moominvalley for yet another winter, but he still felt optimistic about the joys of traveling. He'd be back eventually. Autumn birds sang out in the trees above, leaves crunched under his feet, pressed into the dirt. It was perfect weather to travel. ...a little close to winter for his tastes but...

He had said his goodbyes to Moomin that morning. Sometimes he wished he could just take the darn troll with him but he didn't think he could bear Moomin's kind nature attracting unwanted folks. Snufkin sighed, hands in his pockets. The goodbyes were growing longer and longer, though. He'd never been this close to someone before-- he didn't know how exactly to feel about that. He gazed up at the blue sky that peered through the trees, starting to hum that year's tune. After a moment he let his eyes close, hand gently wrapped around his harmonica. He loved days like these… but sometimes they could get lonely.

Snufkin knew the path very well at this point. It was always very calm as he picked a path few traveled. It was a much prettier path: just one the perks of knowing the forest. He opened his eyes and gazed at the towering mountains up ahead. He should be able to make it before nightfall… plenty of time to set up and get something to eat. The mumrik smiled to himself, still humming. He could practically hear the birds singing along with his tune. The peace was shattered, however, when a noise rang out through the trees, silencing the birds and making Snufkin stop dead in his tracks. Snufkin frowned, looking around. What creature could possibly make that noise! It sounded like… a scream. After a minute there was another scream, this time, the words-- the source became clear. 

"Help!!" Moomin's voice cried out, echoing through the once-peaceful forest. Snufkin felt his muscles tense, listening carefully. When yet another cry rang out, Snufkin found himself bolting through the trees, stepping as lightly as he could with his pack. The scream was cut off. Something terrible must be happening. What was Moomin doing out here? He kept running, fists clenched. The most important question, however, is what was going on? The birds were completely silent, though it was unclear whether they were quiet due to the commotion or because Snufkin was so focused on Moomin's voice. Snufkin trampled through foliage, unable to really focus on anything. Twigs and vines tried to catch him, but they could hardly even inconvenience him at that point. It was hard to make out many words but he was fairly certain he heard Moomin shouting for someone or something to "let me go".

As Snufkin drew closer, two more voices entered the situation. He started to slow down. He didn't know what kind of threat they posed-- running in blind would only endanger them both. He crept closer, listening carefully.

"Look kid," a male voice began, "just tell us where dear old mommy and daddy are. I promise we won't hurt ya bad if you do."

"No no! I-I won't let you hurt them!" Moomin grunted, trying to sound brave but his fear truly betrayed him. Snufkin sucked in a breath. Someone was after the Moomins? He reached around to grab some hattifattener seeds to throw and distract whoever was there as he continued his approach. “You can’t do this!” Moomin shouted, grunting a bit as he presumably kicked out at his attacker.

"Well if you ain't gonna cooperate, I guess we could always rough you up a bit, eh?" The man taunted but Moomin didn't respond. "Tie 'im. If we can't get answers now, we'll get them later." Moomin let out a panicked noise and a fight was quite obviously breaking out. The attackers cursed as Moomin... did something… Ugh, Snufkin needed to see what was going on! He peered through some trees, seeing a large human and a creature wrestling Moomin, trying to get him to cooperate. The creature held rope in his furry brown hands, snickering. Snufkin took a deep breath and stepped out of hiding.

"Let him go or else." He ordered, sounding as strong as he could manage. Oh Booble those men could easily overpower him… his fists clenched tighter around the seeds. 

"Snufkin!" Moomin exclaimed before his face was stomped into the dirt just a few inches from a crumpled paper. Snufkin glared at the men, hoping the forest was on his side. The human let out a laugh at the sight of him, however. 

"Another child! What do you think you're going to do, brat?"

"Just you wait. You won't want to find out." Snufkin raised an eyebrow. The man kept a boot on the side of Moomin's head as the troll gathered up the envelope.

"Snufkin, these- these are for you… I forgot to--" Moomin tried, speaking quickly as if these were some of his last words. The action twisted a knife in Snufkin’s chest. He wouldn’t let anyone… kill anyone. Especially not in Moominvalley. Especially not his friends. Especially not Moomin. The heel of the man’s boot dug into the side of Moomin’s head, silencing the troll. Tears slipped down Moomin’s face, mixing with the dirt that got caught up in his coat. 

"Sneak, hand me the gun." The man ordered, cutting Moomin off. The creature, presumably Sneak, grinned and pulled a gun out of a holster that hung from his belt. The terrible weapon switched hands. The man chuckled, flicking out the barrel of the unblemished revolver, examining the bullets. “Shame we didn’t bring our old girls, eh Sneak? I’m sure good ol’ Due Diligence would love to blast a hole in that tramp, eh? Best rifle in the world, she is…” Snufkin's heart raced, chest tight. One wrong move and they could both be dead meat. He didn't like that Moomin was so close to the men… he had to get him away before he could toss the seeds. 

"Now there, I don't think there's any need for that." Snufkin said, eyes switching between the gun and the pitiful little Moomin, truly acting in the moment. He’d never prepared for this situation-- ever. "You want to see his parents? What for?" The man rolled his eyes, pulling the hammer back.

"Bugger off, kid, ‘fore we put some lead in ta ya. None of this is your business." The Sneak jeered, looking far too happy with the prospect of shooting someone in the first place. 

"Well, I happen to know where his parents live… if you let Moomin go." The man and the Sneak scanned him with skeptical eyes but Moomin's frantic reaction only solidified Snufkin's statement.

"No, Snufkin! Don't! Please no, you can't let them--!" Moomin spat out before the man increased the pressure on his head, causing him to cut off yet again in a sharper sharp cry. The man kept his gun at the ready but hummed thoughtfully.

"Mm… good to see some people still have common sense, eh Sneak?" The man grinned, lifting his foot. Moomin gasped in relief before frantically trying to push himself up. He got kicked in the rear as he finally managed to get up, stumbling to Snufkin. 

"Please… please don't…" he whispered, holding the letter close to his chest, his fingers crumpling the paper further. "I-I'll never forgive you." He looked absolutely dreadful, tears still lingering-- glowing-- on his white fur. Snufkin took a deep breath. That face hurt… but it was all he could think to do. He looked past Moomin and at the men, watching as the gun was lowered ever so slowly. He grabbed Moomin’s paw tightly in one hand and threw the seeds. Once he felt the last seed leave his hand, Snufking bolted off in the other direction, dragging Moomin behind him. “Snuf--!” Moomin began before a loud pop cut him off.

Their hearts both froze when the gun fired. Even as Moomin's attackers cried out as they were shocked by the hattifatteners that quickly emerged, they both felt dread. They managed to run for a while longer, fueled solely by adrenaline. They just kept running until Moomin's leg gave out from under him, pulling the two of them tumbling down onto the forest floor. Moomin pulled his paw away from Snufkin's, biting down on the palm to stifle any noise of pain that could alert the men of their location. Snufkin righted himself and looked at Moomin.

"You were shot… weren't you?" He asked, whispering. Moomin nodded, tears falling onto the dry leaves. Snufkin untied his scarf, scanning his friend quickly. "Where? We need to get you to Moominmamma and fast."

"No… no we can't lead them to her..! Th-they want to… to kill her..! Her and Pappa!" He whispered frantically as Snufkin’s eyes widened. “And me…” Moomin added, ears low.

"Then what do you suggest?" He asked quickly, finding the blossoms of deep red blood that formed on Moomin’s soft fur, hiding his face behind his hat. Snufkin’s hands trembled at the thought of people willingly hunting families. People who were just fine with shooting children. It all made it hard to wrap Moomin’s ankle up. He knew the world could be cruel but never had he encountered such a thing on his travels… only rumors. Moomin suddenly perked up, grabbing Snufkin's sleeve tightly in his paw.

"Too-Ticky." He whispered. "We need to get to the bathhouse."

"Do you think you can make it with your ankle like this?" Snufkin asked, standing so they could keep moving. Moomin pulled himself up with Snufkin's help, hissing at his foot. "Here-- put your weight on me. I'll help you." He looped his arm under Moomin's, holding tight to his back. 

"We just…" he swallowed dryly. "We just need to get close… I don't even know if she's there yet..!" He gripped onto Snufkin tightly as they started to move. "But… But what else can we do..?” Moomin murmured softly. Snufkin nodded, helping his friend limp along between the trees. 

“Come on kiddos! Just play nice and you can be our little pets, eh?” Snufkin’s grip tightened on Moomin as he heard the man calling out. Snufkin briefly considered abandoning his pack, but if Too-ticky wasn’t in the bathhouse, they’d need everything they could get-- especially medical supplies. He and Moomin weren’t pets… They never would be.

Moomin was much heavier than Snufkin; it made traveling difficult, honestly. Snufkin just had to hope the men got thrown off their trail somehow… Sneak’s voice rang out.

“Here kitty, kitty, kitty..!” He broke off into laughter, just taunting them. Moomin sobbed weakly, gripping onto Snufkin with his free hand. Snufkin had half the mind to tell Moomin to drop the letter so he could hold on with both hands, but his mind went back to earlier. Moomin had seemed so desperate… Snufkin shook his head. They had to focus.

“Little birdies!” The other man shouted. “Don’t you fly away so soon!” A moment of silence followed before he continued. “Little turtle doves gotta head south sometime, eh? Just come with us!” Snufkin gritted his teeth and practically dragged Moomin further along north. He could look up and see the western mountains looming over him. This path would cross right by Moominhouse… They’d need to take a detour into particularly rough terrain to avoid it. Moomin couldn’t possibly handle that. He cursed under his breath. 

“How can we get them off our trail..?” Snufkin asked himself aloud. Moomin glanced at Snufkin, thinking. He seemed reluctant but held up his paw, still gripping that letter.

“I-if we leave my letter somewhere, we could send them in the wrong direction?” He offered, before suddenly wrapping his arms around Snufkin, breathing unevenly into Snufkin’s ear. His leg was crumpling again. It had fallen into an unexpected divot in the soil. Snufkin helped him down into the autumn leaves to rest a moment before holding his hand out for the letter. Moomin handed it over without a word. Snufkin glanced down at it as he headed towards an overgrown path that led to the mountains.  _ To Snufkin- Don’t open until midwinter,  _ it read. Snufkin shivered and let it fall to the earth. Of course. He would’ve gladly kept it if he could... He thought for a moment before removing his hat and sticking it into branches that easily stood about as high as Snufkin did. He had to do whatever he could to keep the Moomin family safe now, even if it meant giving up little comforts such as hats and letters. He stomped some plants down, crumpling them to the soil in order to make it look more realistic before rushing back to Moomin. Now they just had to get far away... The man was making forsaken cheeping noises at them… getting closer still.

Moomin had an easier time standing back up, using both hands to grip onto Snufkin now. “Keep moving.” Snufkin whispered. “Just don’t let go no matter what, alright?” He felt Moomin nod against him and that was enough. Someone in Moominvalley had to see them… It was still so early in the day. He didn’t know if he could get Moomin out of this all on his own.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I never say this but... no beta-- forgive any errors in pacing or grammar slip-ups!

  
  


As they ran along the northwestern paths to the sea, Snufkin kept an eye out for any travelers. No one in Mooninhouse knew this was happening. That was just made more clear by how serene the building looked, peeking out through trees and bushes. As quickly as it was there, it was gone… Good thing, too. If they accidentally led those hunters to Moominhouse… Snufkin shuddered and glanced at Moomin. While he was used to living without parents, he knew how much Moomin was relying on them and, to be honest, Snufkin didn't like the thought of good people dying. It was a part of life but-- Snufkin stopped himself. Focus.

"We might need to be closer to the main path if we want to find help…" he noted, still speaking in a low voice as if their hunters would hear them at any moment. Moomin hummed, eyes shut.

"Maybe… b-but maybe we don't need to be too close. Close enough to see but not… not…"

"Be seen-- I got it Moomin, just try and focus on your breathing for now. Breathing and walking." Snufkin finished for him before leading a little ways closer to the main road, peering out over the bushes. Nothing appeared so far… it was growing closer to noon and most people were likely getting lunches ready or having brunch… Snufkin sucked in a breath. That didn't matter. He had to keep looking, just in case. For some reason, Snufkin still couldn't hear the birds. He registered the silence as he scoured the dirt road with his gaze. It was just the two boys' breaths. Uneven and raspy, they made up the background noise. It was uncomfortable, it felt suffocating. Snufkin turned his focus from the path to the foliage before him. They may not be hearing those dreadful taunts anymore, but they still needed to be careful. Moomin gazed out at the path, silently begging whoever would hear that someone would come by soon.

The scenery drifted along, slowly and monotonously. Moomin was getting more and more tired as he and Snufkin stumbled through the trees. His weight pulled down on his friend more and more. Soon they wouldn't be able to get anywhere. Moomin was quiet, each step growing harder to make. His mind swam with dreadful thoughts-- ones that scared him. He didn’t want anybody else to get hurt in all of this.

"Maybe you just need to leave me." Moomin suddenly said, voice quiet and wavering. "Th-that way you can go get someplace safe!" Snufkin shook his head, grunting as he pulled his friend back up, making sure Moomin's arms were wrapped well around his neck.

"Just hold on tighter. We can make it." He muttered before falling into silence. He tried to pick up the pace, but Moomin could see the sweat that slipped from his brow. It wasn’t going to work like this! Moomin debated on how to argue with Snufkin for a moment before resting his head on Snufkin's shoulder. 

"No… I... please, run and warn Moominhouse. They can catch up with us and hurt you too! Then no one can… can stop this...." He begged, eyes fluttering in his exhaustion. His arm slipped, and he weakly onto the worn fabric, barely keeping himself from falling away completely.

"Stay awake, Moomin." Snufkin ordered, his hands making sure Moomin's arms never left their place around his neck. He gripped Moomin's fur tight. He never once considered the fact that he may not have properly stanched the blood flow… that some sort of vital vein had been cut. Now, however, the ideas did indeed come to him. What if Moomin bled through the scarf? What if they had left a crimson trail for the hunters to follow? Moomin groaned a bit, angry that he wasn’t being taken seriously.

"Please! If they catch us--!" Moomin didn't realize how loud he was until a gentle voice rang out from near the path.

"Moomintroll? What are you doing in there?" It was Mymble's voice. After getting no response, she gently tugged a few of the branches that framed the path away, revealing the two boys' sweaty and exhausted faces. Their wide eyes betrayed a shock of fear before relief washed over them. Mymble looked very concerned upon seeing them. "Oh! Goodness, what's happened?" She asked, offering a hand to pull them out with. Snufkin hesitated, peering out of the trees, down the path.

"Is anyone suspicious around here?" 

Mymble’s brows drew in, concern growing even more. "Suspicious? No, not at all. Are you going to tell me what's going on?" She asked sternly, relaxing a bit when she felt Snufkin's shaky hand grabbing onto hers. She expected Snufkin to be long gone by now… what was he still doing around? She looked over the children, brows still knit together in thought. Then she noticed the bloody scarf that was wrapped around Moomin's ankle, gasping. "Where are you headed like that?! You’re going in the complete opposite direction from Moominhouse..!"

"I need you to help me take Moomin to the bathhouse as quickly as possible. I'll explain everything on the way, I promise." Snufkin explained tersely. Moomin was quiet for a moment, exhaustion still evident. The troll rested his head on Snufkin again.

"Someone needs to warn Mamma and Pappa…" Moomin murmured. Mymble's hand tightened on Snufkin's for a moment. Why would they need to be warned? She stood there for a moment before she sighed and released Snufkin's hand. She gently pulled one of Moomin's arms away from Snufkin and guided it over her shoulders.

"I'll do that for you as soon as we get to the bathhouse. Snufkin, can you please tell me what's going on?" Mymble asked, desperation clear on her face. If the Moomins were in danger, that meant My was in harm’s way as well. Snufkin looked off in the other direction. He didn’t have his hat and that made it much more difficult to hide his emotions. His chest felt tight at the thoughts alone, speaking those thoughts into the world was an entirely different situation.

“A pair of men are here to hunt the Moomins. They managed to shoot Moomin in the leg before we got away but… I don’t know why anyone would--”

“C-coats…” Moomin stammered, fresh tears finding their way down his cheeks. “They want t-to skin us; a-and… and wear us!” The digits of his paws curled tight, gripping the fabrics of Snufkin’s smock and Mymble’s jacket. Moomintroll's fur rose from his fear. Snufkin remained stiff,unsure of how to comfort his friend, yet Mymble placed a hand over Moomin's, smoothing down the fur that had puffed up. A child shouldn’t be forced into these situations! Moomin lifted his head. “A-an-and now! Now they’ll want to hurt Sn-Snufkin too!” Snufkin looked at his friend with shock. Coats? Moomin let out a terrible sob, rough from the strain. Mymble took a deep breath. She’d dealt with crying for a long time, but this was a different kind of cry. It wasn’t like a mymble child crying about when dinner would be ready, no, this was a child who was terrified of losing everything. She looked at Moomin, speaking in a reassuring tone.

“Moomintroll, please, look at me. No one will hurt anyone, okay?” She straightened up. “Let’s get to the bathhouse quickly, now.” Snufkin nodded and the two used their combined strength to get Moomin moving again. It was still difficult to handle, but it was better than before. They hurried along the path. Snufkin would have all but begged for them to move back into the trees but he just resigned to letting Mymble lead them. He was trying to think of something that could help them solve this issue entirely… He never heard of Moomin pelts being sold out south. He’d ask Mymble to talk to the police. This was quite obviously some sort of black market deal or something of that sort-- nothing they could deal with on their own. Snufkin shifted his hold on Moomin, fingers lost in the pillowy winter fluff. This fur was Moomin’s. No one would ever take it if he had anything to say about it.

The trio kept moving. Snufkin often felt the need to look behind them but he fought it. It was best if he didn't. He could practically feel the cold metal pressed against his head, threatening him. He tightened his grip on both Moomin and his pack. He just had to keep his mind off that. Oh, it felt like the groke was gripping onto his heart with her icy digits. He let out a shuddering breath and focused on the grass. The grass swayed in the autumn breeze, having turned a soft yellow shade in its death. Wilting wildflowers still filled the air with a faint aroma. At least they still had that on this damned trek. The smell was relaxing at the very least… he heard one bird call out into the valley, voice trill and light. Snufkin decided to take it as an omen… Things would work out fine.

Every now and then Mymble would make conversation with Moomin. Just trivial things to keep him awake as they headed to the beach. She asked about what books he read recently and which liked or what flowers smelled the best. Such banter put Snufkin on edge but he stayed quiet about it. Relief overcame the trio as the beach finally came into view along with the small bathhouse that had been abandoned as the months grew colder. Mymble led them out onto the sand, looking at the duo. 

"As soon as you get inside, you ought to get a better look at that ankle… When Too-Ticky gets here, it might be easier to take care of, but you simply can't leave it like that! After I speak to Moominmamma, I'll see if she can't spare a few supplies for you two." She directed, voice very firm. Snufkin nodded, silent for a moment before he looked at Moomin.

"See? I told you we could make it." He said, trying to smile despite his back aching terribly. Moomin hummed in response, eyes shut. The poor troll was about to pass out right there and then. "Moomin, stay awake." Snufkin warned, fixing his grip on his friend's shoulder.

"He's right, just try and stay awake as long as you can! I know you must be tired but it's best for you to stay awake." Mymble confirmed, lightly jostling the troll to make sure he sgot the message. She then released him and placed a hand on Snufkin's shoulder. "Get him inside, I'll go to Moominhouse right away." As soon as she got any slight sign of confirmation from her brother, she was off-- back to the path. Snufkin and Moomin were left to the sand, the sea that stretched out to the horizon still waving the way it always did. Snufkin pulled Moomin out towards the bathhouse, dragging him up the warped wood that led up to the small building. The idea of staying in such a small space with two others made Snufkin long to run away, free of the claustrophobic fate that awaited him. He sighed and helped Moomin into the bathhouse, sitting him by the empty furnace. Then, after one last glance out towards the valley, Moomin and Snufkin were closed into the tiny little building, alone. 


	3. Chapter 3

Mymble ran, pulling her jacket tight around herself. She was anxious, worried about her family and friends. She knew she must be looking an awful mess, but there wasn't time to fix that. She followed the trail, thinking about how to tell Moominmamma and Moominpappa… they needed to make a plan somehow. They all had to lie low long enough for the police to catch those hunters. After the Moomins, she'd talk to the inspector. The tall, blue house came up over the hills, peering out at Mymble. She picked up her pace, the cold air whipping her cheeks.

Moominmamma was on the veranda, enjoying the remaining time she had outside before hibernation. She was seated in a rocking chair, watching the trees. Mymble waved frantically, trying to catch Moominmamma's eye. She even called out-- though she remained wary about the possible unwanted audience that could hear her. Luckily her voice wasn't as piercing as her sister's.

"Oh! Mymble, what's the hurry?" Moominmamma asked, standing from her chair and stepping down one of the stairs. Mymble quickly covered the remaining space with a burst of energy. She headed up to the veranda's stairs, grabbing onto the older woman's arms gently.

"We need to talk-- inside, preferably-- with everyone." She urged. She glanced up for a moment. "Little My is here right now, right?" Moominmamma's eyebrows were raised but she nodded, voice still as pleasant as ever.

"Oh! Y-yes, of course. Did something happen?" She paused. "Moomin isn't back from his chat with Snufkin. Should we wait until he's back?" Moominmamma asked, glancing about at the treeline, frowning a bit. It  _ had _ been quite a while. She found herself wondering where her son got off to. He had said that he was just going to give Snufkin a letter he forgot about, she doubted such a thing would take all morning.

Mymble sighed, releasing Moominmamma. "I-it's about that-- we should get inside." She said softly, glancing back out down the path for a moment before turning back to Moominmamma. The elder woman nodded, opening the veranda door and ushering Mymble in.

"Did the boys get hurt?" Fear was becoming more and more prevalent in her voice. Mymble hated keeping Mamma so on edge but...

"Get everyone in here so I can explain to everyone at once, please… that'll make this much easier." Mymble ordered softly. She didn’t want to have to explain everything multiple times but, oh, those worry lines that rose up onto Moominmamma's face were painful to see. It made Mymble feel as though she was saying the boys were on their deathbed! Luckily that wasn’t exactly the case… Moominmamma closed the door behind Mymble and walked past her, towards the stairs.

"Of course, dear… have a seat, won't you?" Mamma spoke with a subtle wavering to her tone. Mymble clutched the hem of her tweed jacket, sitting down on the sofa. She leaned back, looking at the ceiling, trying to think of how to handle this situation beyond just letting the police take care of things. She couldn’t just stand by… not when her family was in danger as well. She just hoped My would take this all seriously. Mamma ascended the stairs, leaving Mymble to her thoughts. For a little while, there was no sound but the wind against the windows. Little My was downstairs first. The girl looked rather annoyed, though her eyes betrayed a pinch of worry. The sisters had still just recently discovered that Snufkin was related to them and My had been having a bit of a rough go trying to deal with that information. Mymble supposed that Moominmamma's demeanor had really worried her younger sister. It surprised her as My tended to not really remember all of their younger siblings at all!

"Alright, Mymble, you better explain all of this. If this is all one big prank, it ain’t funny." Little My snapped, glaring up at Mymble with her arms crossed.

"Oh, what I wouldn't give for this to be a joke…” She paused, looking down at My, brows drawn in tight. “This is very serious and we'll absolutely need your help, okay?" Mymble rubbed her arm at the elbow quickly, still fairly nervous about breaking the news. Little My said nothing, just climbing up to sit beside her sister. My's feet thrummed against the seat. She was trying to do something to occupy herself-- to shove down the anxiety that threatened to bubble up-- and fill the silence that fell like a blanket over the duo. Mymble tried to keep her eyes on the stairs but she kept finding herself looking at Little My. Soon Moominmamma came down, holding onto her husband's arm. Moominpappa adjusted his hat when he saw the two mymbles sitting in quiet tension.

"Now… er… Mymble, could you please explain what's the matter?" He asked, breaking the silence. Mymble looked up at the pair of Moomins, taking a deep breath. The two were trying their best not to look worried about their son but they couldn’t help it. Such is the way with parents, the mymbles had learned. Mymble explained slowly, hands gripping her jacket’s hem again. She knew it likely a terribly worrisome gesture to see but she just couldn’t help it.

"I found Moomintroll and Snufkin earlier and they said there are hunters-- well, they're… they're hunting Moomins for some terrible reason." She cringed at how poorly she put together the words. She found that terrible reason floating back up into her head. It was a mere second before the words left her lips. “Moomin said that the hunters are after coats…” My practically jumped up from where she was sitting. She knew of fur coats, of course but never  _ Moomin-fur  _ coats! Moominpappa put a paw over his partner's,

"Now… Now that just can't be! No one around here would ever--! We’re not.. Not animals!” He exclaimed, stumbling over his words in his surprise. “...But… Moomin is alright...right?" He asked. His tail beginning to droop fairly low for the proud fellow, brows tightly knit together both in fear and anger. 

"And Snufkin, of course…" Moominmamma added after a moment, squeezing Moominpappa’s arm gently. She was leaning forward a bit, ears turned back. Little My eyed her sister as if a nasty look alone would make her have good news. Mymble nodded, raising her hands in an attempt to reassure the others.

"Yes, of course! Moomin got hurt while they were running away, but he and Snufkin are hiding in the bathhouse right now!” She looked at the two Moomin parents. “We need to make sure you two can hide as well, though…”

Moominpappa hummed. “I suppose that would be the best course of action… But what about Moomin?” He tapped his chin. “If he’s hurt, we can’t leave him out there… Especially if it was hunters that hurt him.”

“Too-Ticky should be there in a few days perhaps, but I think… I can bring them extra medical supplies later, though, if you would like.” Mymble offered. Moominmamma nodded.

“Excellent idea, Mymble, I’ll gather some things up while you all work on a plan… What kind of wound is it?”

“I wasn’t there to see what happened but it’s his ankle.” Mymble answered before looking at My and Moominpappa. “I’ll talk to the inspector as soon as I can, but how can we make you all disappear until all of this is over..?” She asked, letting her hem fall back into place. Moominpappa began to pace the floor, tail lashing.

“Well, for now we’ll need to start locking the doors and windows…” He noted, closing his eyes as he fell into his thoughts. Mymble quickly got to work doing that, pulling the drapes shut while she was at it. She stepped back, sighing at how the dim autumn light was further lost through the fabric. Silence fell over the parlor space though, after a moment Little My spoke up.

“Moominpappa, you’ve been out on adventures, you have to know something else we could do!” She stood up. “Maybe some trick we could pull or something!” Moominpappa turned to look at her, scratching his chin. 

“Well, perhaps we could act as though we left…” He proposed, looking over at the mymbles. “Little My may be small, but if she and Sniff pretended to be looking after the house while we’re ‘gone’-- perhaps on some sort of winter trip, we could perhaps get any nasty hunters off our trail.” My looked very much shocked, if not concerned. Last time they were in charge of anything, it wasn’t too great. Moominpappa must have noticed because he continued. “Of course, that would be an act. Mamma and I will do things around the house if we can. You and Sniff would mainly handle duties outside. ...And speak with any visitors, of course.” He clapped his hands together as he finished his thoughts. Mymble nodded in response, stepping away from the windows.

“I think it’s worth a shot.” She said, looking between My and Moominpappa. “When I take the supplies for Moomin over, I’ll ask Snufkin what the hunters look like so we know who to look out for.”

“Perfect.” Moominpappa crossed his arms, nodding his head down. “I think we’ll have no problem getting rid of those men. Though… I still worry about Moomin.”

“I can keep going between the bathhouse and here… I can deliver letters for you.” Mymble offered.

“I don’t think I can thank you girls enough… though, it seems no one will get to hibernate for a while, hm?” Moominpappa added the last bit with a sad smile.

“I’m sure nobody minds giving that up to help you at all.” Mymble smiled at Moominpappa reassuringly and sat back down beside Little My. “I don’t think anyone would want you getting… hurt like that regardless of the time of year.” Moominpappa thanked her once, then thanked her again for everything she did that day. Moominmamma entered, a basket held in her paws.

“Sorry I took a moment, I wanted to add a note along with the supplies… I’m guessing you all came up with something?”

“Yes, my dear,” Moominpappa began, looking over at Little My. “I’ll have My go talk to Sniff for now and we should let Mymble head out and get these supplies to the boys. You and I can prepare a spot for us to retreat to in case anyone comes by.” Moominpappa Moominmamma nodded, handing Mymble the basket.

“Do take care… Make sure those boys take care of themselves, too.” 

Mymble nodded. “Of course. I’ll do the best I can.” She stepped back. “I’ll be headed off to the police station soon. Stay safe, alright?” After a moment of short goodbyes and a sisterly hug, Mymble was off into the autumn winds again.


	4. Chapter 4

Snufkin was pulled out of his tired thoughts when he heard a knock at the door. He jerked upright and gently nudged Moomin off of him. He hadn’t even noticed that Moomin had dozed off! He watched his friend for a moment until he saw Moomin shift, groaning at the lost warmth he had gotten from Snufkin. Another knock rang out so Snufkin got up and crossed to the door slowly, trying to be as quiet as he could. He didn’t want to put Moomin and himself back into danger… But it could be Too-Ticky or Mymble. He thought of ways to check without being entirely exposed to whoever was there, not finding many options

“Hello? I’m back with some medicine from the house...” Mymble said, loud enough to be heard through the door. Snufkin quickly opened the door and shuffled back, letting her into the small space. It was dark and a bit dirty inside, but it was what they had. Mymble shut the door behind her and found a place to sit on the floor, nearby to Moomin. “Would you like some help taking care of Moomin’s ankle?” She asked, setting the basket down and looking up at Snufkin, who was headed back to where Moomin was lying.

“It’s not really necessary… but I’d greatly appreciate it.” Snufkin said, looking over at Moomin. The troll was already waking from hearing the new arrival. He still looked absolutely dreadful. “Could you push yourself out here a little so we could see your ankle better, Moomin?” Moomin didn’t respond, just doing what was asked, eyelids still drooping heavily. Snufkin stepped over his friend carefully, sitting on the side opposite of Mymble.

“Could you get the scarf off, please?” Mymble asked Snufkin, grabbing a rag and a dark brown bottle from the basket. The scarf had been turning an awful rusty-brown shade, only a few splotches of the deep blood red still showed. Snufkin knew the bleeding would be back soon, sadly. He undid the knot on the scarf. 

“I’m sorry if this hurts.” He murmured, patting Moomin’s arm before grabbing onto one end of the scarf. Snufkin pulled the scarf carefully, peeling it up off Moomin’s ankle. Snufkin cringed as they reached the clotting wound. Moomin went stiff, grunting a bit. His paws clenched. Snufkin kept pulling, taking the clots off with the scarf. Blood quickly started seeping from the wound again. Moomin started taking deep, shaky breaths. Snufkin set the scarf, stiff with dried blood, aside and reached to pat Moomin’s paw reassuringly. Moomintroll, however, took hold of Snufkin’s hand, squeezing gently. Snufkin froze, blinking and staring down at Moomin before relaxing. Snufkin surely appreciated medicine being sent back from Moominhouse. While Snufkin packed to take care of his own injuries, he definitely wasn’t prepared for a gunshot wound.

Mymble poured some alcohol onto the rag and passed a canteen of water to Snufkin. “I’ll tell you when to rinse his wound, alright?” She explained. “It’s a good thing you’re holding his hand, this is going to hurt a lot worse-- especially because of how deep this is…” Snufkin nodded and watched Mymble work. He’d had to clean wounds with alcohol in the past but never on a wound so terrible, only scrapes and cuts.… Mymble started dabbing Moomin’s wound, washing the wound the best she could in the poor lighting. She had a feeling that Moomin’s ankle would never fully recover, but she didn’t say anything about that. Moomin bit back a cry, gripping Snufkin’s hand tight. Snufkin placed his other hand over Moomin’s, patting reassuringly. Tears slid down Moomin’s cheeks, back arching as he curled in on himself a little. Mymble did her best to ignore it and keep working. For Moomin, however, it felt like the stinging of the alcohol was resonating throughout his whole ankle and foot.

Moomin hissed through his teeth, tears welling up in his eyes. Snufkin had to look away, finding some point on the wall to focus on.

“It’s okay to cry, Moomin.” Mymble said softly, pulling the rag away. She didn’t know too much about this kind of injury-- she never thought she would treat something of this caliber. However, if she knew anything, it was that it was possible that the bullet could have gone through entirely.

Mymble checked around Moomin’s ankle, checking for an exit wound. She shifted her fingers through Moomin’s fur cautiously, parting it near the wound and on the other side of his ankle. She didn’t want to hurt him more than necessary. She found no exit wound, worrying her. The bullet may have even gotten stuck in the bone! She looked over again, feeling the muscles gently. Yep… nothing she could really identify. She wasn’t a doctor after all. She frowned and set Moomin’s ankle back down onto the floor-- blood had sunk into the floorboards already. She finished cleaning up with the alcohol and directed Snufkin to flush the wound, which he did, begrudgingly pulling his hands free from Moomin’s. He twisted the cap of the canteen off and looked at the disgustingly red wound. He felt his gut twist, but he started to rinse it off. Snufkin looked away, not wanting to gaze at the wound for too long. He hated guns… this just gave him more reason to. Mymble then began to pat the red-tinted water away. Snufkin sat back, running his hand through his hair. 

“Thank you...” Moomin murmured, his voice breaking a bit. He wanted to sleep… Mymble applied a salve to the wound, careful not to press too hard. Soon she was wrapping Moomin up and giving him pain medication. 

“It’s no problem at all, Moomin!” Mymble smiled, helping him up so he could take it. “Moominmamma wrote a note for you two if you two would like to look at it after we’re done here.” The way Moomin perked up was somehow painful to see.

“Oh! Oh, Snufkin could you read it to me? I’m a bit sleepy so I don’t think I could.” Moomin asked, tail thumping against the floorboards. Snufkin nodded, smiling at his friend’s change in demeanor.

“Of course, I’d love to.” He assured his friend. “I’ll give you my pillow and blanket first, though, I don’t think you should be staying on the floor.” He pulled his pack over, removing his rolled up tent and setting it aside before opening it up.

Mymble looked to Snufkin, sighing. "Well, I suppose I should get going. Take care of that leg, okay?" Snufkin nodded back in response, unsure of what he could even say. His older sister patted his shoulder and stood, fixing her jacket. "Next I'll make sure you two have enough firewood. The nights should be getting pretty cold now…" She paused, and looked down at the boys. "What were the hunters like? I'm going to the inspector next." Snufkin sat in silence for a moment, looking at Moomin. If anything, Moomin would know much better.. But he didn’t blame him if he couldn’t put the images together right then.

"There was a man… human man. I couldn't see his face well, but he was with a creature called Sneak. That fellow had shaggy brown fur. I don't remember much, I was too focused on Moomin." He said slowly. "I'm sorry. Hope it helps." Mymble offered her hand to him. 

"It'll work just fine." She said, smiling reassuringly. Snufkin took her hand after a moment. "You rest well, Snufkin." Then she was gone, leaving Snufkin and Moomin alone in the chilly little shack again. Snufkin was quiet for a moment before pulling what he wanted out of his pack and pushing it away. Moomin propped himself up, picking the note from his mom out of the basket while Snufkin set out the pillow and blanket for him. 

“How long do you think it will take for the inspector to find the hunters..?” Moomin asked quietly, running his thumb over the paper. His ears shifted back, resting against his head. He wiggled the toes on his injured foot nervously. He didn’t want things to be like this forever. Snufkin sat back once he was done setting up the makeshift bed for Moomin. 

“I hope not too long, no doubt things will get awfully lonely in here until Too-Ticky arrives. The descriptions I gave Mymble weren’t the best, though… we can only wait and see, really.” He paused, looking at his friend. “Do you still want me to read that note to you?” Moomin’s ears perked back up. 

“Oh, yes please, Snufkin!” He turned to face the mumrik, tail thumping happily against the floorboards once more. He handed the note over and Snufkin shifted into a more comfortable sitting position.

“Go ahead and lie down.” Snufkin directed softly, legs crossed underneath him. “You look exhausted-- it’s been a very rough day.” He unfolded the paper as Moomin got settled, curled so that he could watch Snufkin read. Snufkin felt his face heat up under Moomin’s eyes, so he quickly turned to look down at Moominmamma’s fine handwriting.

_ ‘To Moomin and Snufkin, _

_ I know that it’s very hard to find the words to express how this situation makes us feel, but I want you both to know that everyone in Moominhouse already misses you terribly, even Little My is worried! But don’t you two worry about us, Moominpappa and I are safe and will stay that way as long as we need to. Even though we may be stuck just writing letters for a little while, I hope you can still feel all of the love I’m pouring out for you. Take care of eachother. _

_ P.S. Snufkin, be sure to change the bandages on Moomin’s ankle regularly! _

_ -Mamma’  _

“She signed it with a heart, too.” Snufkin hummed, closing the note and looking down to Moomin. “I think we’re all going to be okay, Moomin.” Moomin was dozing, a big smile on his face. Snufkin smiled as well, setting the note down next to Moomin. He patted Moomin’s paw and folded the blanket over him. Snufkin then leaned back, legs crossed at his ankles. He shut his eyes, letting himself lay back against his pack. “Sleep well, my friend.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm no doctor, so I apologize for anything that is incorrect here! Thank you for reading


	5. Chapter 5

Days had passed with very little progress on the investigation. Moominmamma and Moominpappa were both terribly worried about their son, but Mymble always reassured them when she visited. It was certainly odd to have Moominhouse locked all the time… Mamma was in the middle of making breakfast for the small host of creatures under her care. Sniff and My were helping the best they could. It was good to stay occupied in these bizarre times. The three were mostly working on different parts of breakfast, but they had been making some berry pancakes. Mamma hummed a tune between giving instructions to the kids and Pappa busied himself by writing letters in his study. Being stuck inside certainly gave him time to write his memoirs, but the situation his family was stuck in made it all but impossible to do so.

Moominpappa had, of course, written a letter or two for the boys but he also had been trying to get in contact with friends in order to inform them that they should not come until they received a letter that it was safe. Of course, they did have Sniff and My to accept company but the fewer visitors the better. He leaned back in his chair, sighing. There were some folks he wouldn't be able to get a hold of if he tried… the window that used to look out over the trees was now shrouded by thick curtains. It left him in a suffocating darkness. Three tentative raps came from the door. Moominpappa opened his eyes, unaware they had even been closed. The paper before him was empty-- he seemed to be spending much more time thinking than actually doing anything.

"Come in." He called, turning in his chair to look at the door. Sniff pushed it open, forcing a smile.

"Mamma said to call you down. Breakfast is almost ready."

"Thank you Sniff, I'll be down in a minute." Pappa grunted, looking back at the paper for a moment. He couldn't really think of anyone else to even write to, honestly. He sighed and stood. So many days with so little he could or can do led to him getting everything done rather quickly. He lifted his hat off the desk and set it on his head. "Hard to believe it's only the morning… it feels like I've been awake for ages." 

"Oh yea, Moominpappa, I understand." Sniff hummed, still at the door. "Sometimes it feels like I've barely slept at all! I keep thinking someone is gonna show up in the night and-- well, nevermind." He cut off his ramblings before they could get too far. He had realized fairly early on just how depressed the Moominparents would get when he rambled. His toes tapped on the floorboards nervously. Moominpappa didn't really say anything, the dark rings around his eyes speaking for him. 'Not now pelase.' Sniff quietly followed Pappa down the stairs, ears hanging low. His tail swept against the floor, creating a gentle "ssh-shh" noise as they went. The duo passed by a few covered-up windows and into the dining room.

Little My had been setting out plates for the four of them in their usual places. It was nice to see from her, even if she wasn't paying too much attention to it. The silence was always so deafening during meal times. Moominmamma emerged from the kitchen, carrying and soon setting down plates of food onto the table. Moominpappa gave her a tired smile and a 'moomin kiss' before taking a seat. Mamma let her shoulders sag as soon as the plates were set down.

"Oh, I do think I'll be focusing on my other hobbies a lot more now. Trying to go on as usual has been very boring, don't you think, dear?" She spoke softly, just trying to breathe some life into the day.

"I would too but I just haven't been able to write in days… you know how it can get, Mamma. I can't very well paint either without my watercolor set either. I don't think I can live with things like this for long… We don't even have any idea on how Moomin is half of the time!" Moominpappa slumped back, sighing. "Sorry, dear I'm just…" Moominmamma nodded, coming up behind him and placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I know. Things have been hard, but we must keep trying to, well, keep our heads." She sat in her seat, glancing at the children. My didn't seem to be paying any attention to the exchange, instead focusing on her food. Sniff was the same way. She didn't blame them at all, though. They were children, after all. Not to mention that they were stuck with adults who were completely out of it. Breakfast chugged on slowly, conversation mostly consisting of allocating chores to Sniff and My. However, about halfway through, all four were surprised by a knock at the door. "It's either Mymble or the inspector… Sniff, could you get the door?" Moominmamma asked, taking Moominpapa's arm. Sniff nodded and soon they had gone off into hiding. 

Sniff set down his utensils and went to the door, wringing his paws. My was close behind but he didn't know whether to be relieved or more anxious. "Hello?" He asked, ears low as he opened the door. Little My leapt out onto the veranda at the sight of their visitor.

"Too-ticky!" My grabbed the young woman by the hand and pulled her inside.

"Hello Little My, what’s with all this excitement?" Too-Ticky greeted in her usual tone. "Are the Moomins home?" Sniff shut the door quickly.

"Y-yes but you need to be very quiet about it!" He blurted. They had been expecting Too-Ticky rather anxiously these past few days, even though winter was still a little ways away. Too-Ticky frowned, concern rising up in her.

"Why would I need to keep quiet about something like that?" She asked, pulling her hand free from Little My's grasp. The tiny girl turned to look up at the visitor, a serious look on her face.

"Moominmamma can explain better than I can." My placed her fists on her hips, a scowl on her face. Thinking about it made her mad… so it was best to talk to Mamma. She headed to where the Moomins were hiding out so she could tell them that Too-Ticky had arrived. Sniff stood awkwardly with Too-Ticky while they waited for My's return. Too-Ticky was examining her surroundings as if she would get a clue from any minute detail. Sniff just tried not to get in the way. He was very keen on staying out of everyone’s way lately. My soon came back out of the hallway, turning to get back to the dining table. "They're on their way now." She promptly went back to her meal. Moominmamma soon peered out into the hall.

"I'm sorry for the state of things, Too-Ticky…" Moominmamma apologized. She hurried over to Too-Ticky, looking more tired and sad than the Too-Ticky was used to.

"What's the matter?" She asked, glancing between the Moominparents as they entered the den, holding onto each other. Moominmamma slowly looked at the floor, shoulders tensing up. Moominpappa looked at her sadly before letting out a sigh.

"W-well… let's sit down first." Pappa released her, letting her go to sit on the sofa.

"Mamma, if you don't want to talk about it, I can." He offered, watching her worriedly. "You could go eat with the children if you'd like."

Moominmamma shook her head. "Go ahead, dear… I think it might do me good to talk." Too-Ticky sat beside Moominmamma, quiet. "When you go to the bathhouse, Moomin and Snufkin will be there already. I… I'm sorry if that inconveniences you but there's something terrible in Moominvalley." Too-Ticky observed Moominmamma as she began to, somehow, tense up even more.

"I can assure you, I can take care of them when I get there." Too-Ticky said, crossing her legs. "But can you tell me what terrible thing has them hiding?"

Mamma hesitated. "There are hunters in Moominvalley. They're trying to hunt  _ Moomins _ . I don't know exactly what happened, but Moomin got shot and I haven't been able to stop worrying about him since."

"So that's why the windows are covered…" Too-Ticky mused to herself before looking to Moominmamma. "It's alright to worry, Moominmamma. Besides, I don't think anyone would be too opposed to comforting you."

"Oh, yes, but the children are worried enough as it is." Mamma glanced at the dining room. Too-Ticky hummed.

"How long have the hunters been in town?"

"I'm afraid I don't know for certain. Moomin was attacked less than a week ago… and the police are working on the case." Moominmamma paused. "But, you know, I still can't help but think they'll just get away with all this." Too-Ticky nodded, knowing just how effective Moominvalley's police force is.

"Well, I promise you, your boys won't get hurt any more, especially with me around for the winter." She smiled at Moominmamma, trying to be reassuring. Mamma smiled back.

"Thank you, Too-Ticky, really."

"I'd never turn down a friend when they need me." Too-Ticky stood and offered her paw to Moominmamma. She helped the older woman up to her feet. “You’d do the same for me.”

"Mymble has been checking in on the boys as well, so if you ever need anything let her know and we'll get it to you." Moominmamma brushed her apron off. "Have you already eaten today?" She asked, looking at Too-Ticky.

"Yes, thank you for offering though-- I should get to the bathhouse as soon as I can. I wish you all the best of luck."

"Of course! Stay safe, alright?"

"I will. I'll see you again, soon." Too-Ticky waved and turned to the door. "Oh! I should wait, shouldn't I." Moominmamma nodded and hurried out of the dining room. Soon Little My had come out into the entree way to see Too-Ticky out. Too-Ticky smiled down at My, fixing her hat. "Don't worry, Little My, I'll take good care of them." 

"You better." My crossed her arms. What a little ball of fury… Soon Too-Ticky was headed off down the porch stairs and along the path. Little My sighed and shut the door, jumping up to lock it. At least she didn't have to worry about those dumb boys running off and getting into trouble. It was a huge weight off her little shoulders. She leaned against the door, crossing her arms again. She just wanted nobody to be stupid. It couldn't be that hard! 


	6. Chapter 6

Too-Ticky looked up at the bathhouse as she trudged over the sands of the beach. It looked as if no one was inside the building at all. She cursed herself for not asking Moominmamma to elaborate on how Moomin was hurt, but she headed up towards the building. She adjusted her bag as she went, peering over her shoulder a bit, the quiet making her uneasy. If there were dangerous characters around Moominvalley, she couldn't be careless...

She instinctively tried the door, finding it locked. Oh, right… of course. She knocked, her worn knuckles causing the sound to echo in the small, one room building.

"Hello? I'm here for the winter…" she began, trying to leave out any details someone could hear. Soon, the door opened a crack, a pair of brown eyes peering out. Too-Ticky smiled. "Hello, it's just me-- Too-Ticky." She placed her hand on the door handle again. A voice called from within the bathhouse.

"Let her in..!" It was definitely Moomin's. Snufkin hummed and opened the door more so she could enter. "Too-Ticky, it's good to see you!" Moomin smiled at his friend, tail swishing at the dust on the floor. He was peering out from behind some storage where he had hidden. Too-Ticky set her bag down.

"How have you two been managing?" She asked, sitting down. Snufkin sat cross-legged on the floor, a blanket draped over his shoulders. 

"Good enough, I suppose. The nights have been a bit cold but it wasn't a good idea to light the furnace without you here." He noted, glancing over at Moomin, who was making a little bit of a racket. The troll was trying to move on his own, using the wall as support. Snufkin stood up quickly. "Moomin, wait-- you might get hurt…" 

Too-Ticky stood as well. "How exactly did you get hurt in the first place? If you don't mind me asking, of course." She asked, watching Snufkin help Moomin get around. Moomin hissed in pain whenever his bad foot made contact with the floor but tried to keep a smile up.

"I… ow..! They sh-shot me in the leg." He said, voice breaking. Too-Ticky stood, quickly shuffling over. She met the boys halfway, helping them both to sit down.

"Can I see?" She asked, kneeling beside him and taking a careful hold of his leg. "You really shouldn't be moving around too much. It's probably fractured and you don't want to make that worse." She felt his ankle a bit, a frown on her face. Moomin cried out, jerking. Snufkin was quiet, staring at his boots. Moomin squeezed his friend's arm, clenching his teeth. Too-Ticky sighed. "I'm guessing the bullet is still in there." She murmured, brows furrowed. It wasn't a good idea to leave it in, but… she wasn't a surgeon. Too-Ticky set Moomin's foot down.

"I think we'll end up stuck with it." Snufkin sighed, crossing his arms. "It shouldn't be too much trouble if we take good care of it." Moomin hummed in acknowledgement. Too-Ticky looked at the bandages. They seemed to have been changed recently.

“You’ve been taking care of it pretty well so far, it seems.” Too-Ticky said, looking between the boys. A moment of silence followed, only the sound of the sea breezes rustling against the house could be heard. Moomin felt restless, shifting awkwardly where he sat.

"If only I hadn't forgotten the letter…" he mumbled. "Then they wouldn't have caught me in the first place." Snufkin looked at him, vaguely remembering the tiny box and letter Moomintroll had tried to give him when… well, when he thought those men would kill him. Snufkin swallowed dryly. Moomin couldn't blame himself for this…

"That's right-- you did have a letter. Why was it so important?" Snufkin asked, shading his concern for the time being. He had a slight feeling that he knew what the general gist of the letter was, but he wanted to know anyway.

"Well…" Moomin began, hugging himself loosely. He was quiet for a moment. "I… I wrote a letter for you to open around midwinter. I had also dried some flowers and… It's silly." He ended up twirling his tail anxiously, blue eyes glancing briefly at his company before shifting back to the floorboards. "I guess it wasn't important b-but it was important to me at the time! I…" he sighed, releasing his tail and holding his head. Too-Ticky watched this for a moment, brows knit together in some unreadable emotion. Eventually, she began to speak.

“I’m sorry if this will come off rather bleak…” Too-Ticky began, “but I don’t think you should spend your time blaming yourself. If those people  _ are _ hunting moomins, they would have kept looking until they found you-- maybe even finding you while you would be hibernating. Right now, though, we know they’re out there. They won’t be able to sneak up on us.” Too-Ticky gave Moomin a stern look. “Please don’t blame yourself, alright? I’m certain no one else does.” Snufkin nodded, patting Moomin’s back a bit.

“She’s right, you know… I… I would have done the same if I were in your shoes.” He tried to reassure Moomin the best he could. “Plus, you couldn’t have known.” It felt weird comforting Moomin as he was never really good at it. Heck, when Moominmamma and pappa had left for adventure, the best he could come up with was offering to cook fish for Moomin. Not too reassuring in retrospect. Moomin still seemed so deflated, eyes trained on his own two paws.

“I suppose so…” Moomin mumbled, eyes watery. Too-Ticky shifted so that she could sit beside the child, allowing silence to fall over the three. Moomin ended up leaning against Too-Ticky. She was a bit heavier set and it made him think of his mother… it was comforting to him. Snufkin found his eyes wandering to the two, seeing Too-Ticky draw her arm around Moomin. Moomin sighed softly. “I just feel like.. Maybe if I just stayed home, they wouldn’t have even come.” Too-Ticky hummed, nodding a bit.

“Yes, it seems we always think like that when bad things happen.” She noted, looking over at Snufkin, letting a sigh escape her. “I’d say to be grateful for your good luck today, too.” Moomin sat up once again.

“Good luck? On a day like this?” He exclaimed, boggled by the idea that such a thing could exist. Too-Ticky released Moomin and rolled her shoulders. She shut her eyes and leaned back, her palms pressed against the smoothed wood beneath her.

“Well, Snufkin found you, didn’t he?” She asked. “I’d call that some mighty fine luck myself.” Moomin nodded quickly, soon picking up his tail, anxiously twirling it again.

“Y-yes, of course!” He hadn’t considered that. If Snufkin hadn’t been nearby, he could have been dead! Him and all of Moominhouse… Snufkin gripped at the fabric of his tunic. He hadn’t thought about that possibility either. Returning in spring to find nothing but a memorial left in the Moomins’ place felt like the worst nightmare imaginable. Too-Ticky noticed the boys tensing up and she cursed mentally.

“See, now you both are going into the ‘what if’s… I mean for you to be grateful for your luck, not… oh nevermind.” She paused, and a thick blanket of awkward air cloaked the trio. “What all have you had to eat today?” She asked, trying to change the subject. “I’ve eaten not too long ago, but I could always fish later.” Both boys seemed to perk up at the suggestion.

“Well, we’ve mostly been eating preserves Snufkin packed for his journey… no real warm meal since… well, you know.” Moomin said, welcoming the new thoughts with open arms. Snufkin nodded, voice fairly quiet.

“We’d really appreciate that, Too-Ticky.” The mumrik murmured. The ‘what if’s wouldn’t leave his head-- it made his chest feel tight. Too-Ticky patted Snufkin’s shoulder and stood. 

“Alright then, I’ll get on that after I start a fire.” She gave the boys a smile and walked past them, over to the furnace. She could probably get more firewood before supper too… She took a mental note of that as she picked up a couple logs from the supply nearby. The silence returned quickly and, though sometimes she would have liked that, it certainly was uncomfortable then. 

Snufkin looked over at Moomin, his hand twitching. The ‘what-if’s continued to swirl in his head. The vivid image of Moomin dying in the forest, looking for him of all people-- sure they were the closest friends but it was so difficult to comprehend. Snufkin tentatively took hold of his friend’s paw, gulping down the lump in his throat. 

“I… I’m very glad I found you, Moomin.” He said, squeezing Moomin’s paw. Moomin smiled at him and wrapped his arms around Snufkin, holding him close. 

“I’m glad too-- thank you.” Moomin nuzzled his muzzle under Snufkin’s chin and Snufkin, in turn, used his free arm to pull half of the blanket over Moomin. The mumrik's face was redder than a damned tomato! Too-Ticky smiled a bit, stepping back from the furnace. The two were adorable kids-- they didn’t deserve this awful mess-- this awful pain. Some part of her just wished for all of the children of the world to just… be free of the cruelness of the world but such things were too good to be true. There would always be terrible aunts to bully kids like Ninny, always some nasty person who just doesn't care. She just had to do her part to make things better. She was more than willing to risk her life for folks that would do the same for her.


	7. Chapter 7

  
  


Majority of the tired inhabitants of Moominvalley had to delay their hibernation to work with the police station. The past few days were slow and tense. Those hunters proved to be quite good at staying hidden. They hadn’t stopped by for any help or supplies at all! Mymble was getting a bit anxious. Obviously they wouldn’t be caught overnight, but if this went on deep into the winter, they might be in trouble. She had a feeling some folks couldn’t last that long. She was headed to see Too-Ticky and the boys. Too-Ticky had decided she would stay near the house so Mymble decided to do supply runs for them. 

She was replenishing their bandage supplies at the moment. She trudged along the trails that cut through the billowing grasses towards the beach. Her face was red from the cold; usually she’d be home by now. However, she was staying with the inspector while all of this was going on-- she hadn’t felt comfortable leaving Moominvalley in such a state-- so it was a bit of a walk to get to the Moomins’ bathhouse. The valley was usually pretty empty now, so Mymble had quite the surprise when she saw a figure walking along the opposite way.

The figure’s silhouette was giant in comparison to Mymble. His clothes appeared thick, not helping that at all. Mymble’s chest felt tight, anxious at the sight of such a large man. She’d never seen him before so her mind immediately ran to the possibility of it being one of those hunters. She tried to make out his face from a distance. Even if it wasn’t a hunter, she should give his details to the inspector. They said nothing, just growing closer to each other. The fact that she was staring just seemed to slip from Mymble's mind.

"You got a problem, doll?" The man asked as he grew nearer. His voice was a bit gruff, his eyes were warm but something about the look on his face was just unsettling. Mymble's eyes widened and her mind started racing to come up with something.

"Sorry I… I just don't think I've ever met you before!" She said quickly, stopping in her tracks and looking away. She tried to find some point in the overcast skies, clasping her hands in front of her. “I was just curious…” He began to close the gap between them.

"It's fine, it's fine. I ain't from around here." The man hummed, crossing his arms as he came to a stop not too far from her. "Not many folks about, are there?" He asked, shifting his weight from one leg to the other. If it hadn’t been so overcast, Mymble was sure his shadow would’ve covered her even with the few feet between them! She reached up, nervously twirling some loose hair.

"Oh, didn't you know? Many creatures here hibernate… some might be starting early!" Mymble said, turning to look at his face again. She hoped he didn’t notice how she was studying him.

"Hm, well why aren't you hibernating little lady?" The man raised an eyebrow. Mymble felt a shiver run through her. Despite him not doing anything, this man was really intimidating her.

"Well, uh, a girlfriend of mine is feeling unwell so… I'm helping her out this winter!" she paused. “You know, running her supplies from town.” She forced a smile. She wasn’t exactly lying, but that didn’t quell her anxiety. She shifted her basket so she could hold it more comfortably, the wisps of her sideburns tussling against her face. The man smiled back at her, resting a calloused hand against his own hip.

“Want an escort there? Seems like all the folks I’ve seen around are kind on edge...” He offered. Mymble quickly shook her head.

“Oh, no, no, I’ll be fine! I’ve walked this path many times. I wouldn’t want to trouble you anyways.”

“Ah, well, could you at least point me in the direction of a place called ‘Moominhouse’? I found a letter from a ‘Moomin’ and thought I should give it back so it can get to where it needs to be.” Mymble’s brain ground to a halt. Yes, she’d definitely talk to the inspector… and the boys-- to see if they remembered this man. She thought for a moment before forcing herself to make eye contact.

“Really? Who is it for? I might be able to take it myself…”

“Some person named ‘Snufkin’.” The man hummed. “Weird name but… well, I think I’d feel better if I took it to them. Y’know?”

“I understand, I’ve felt the same sometimes. Snufkin left for the winter-- as did the Moomins. You just missed them, honestly. Since I’ll be here until spring, I can hold onto it and give it to them when they return!” Mymble offered, hoping that the man didn’t see through her. This was way too convenient to just be some wandering traveler.

“Oh… well, uh yeah-- I guess.” He reached into a satchel bag and pulled out a wrinkled envelope. “I mean, I ain’t staying all winter… I hear the snow gets real bad.”

“It really does. I hope my friend will be feeling better before the first snowfall.” Mymble noted, accepting the envelope from the man and looking at it. Sure enough it said  _ ‘To Snufkin - Don’t Open Until Midwinter’ _ ... “I’ll make sure Snufkin gets this when he returns in spring. Better late than never!” She forced another smile and slid the envelope into her basket. “I should hurry and get these supplies to my friend before it gets cold. Nice to meet you…”

“Nels. And you?”

“Mymble-- it really is a pleasure! Have a good evening.” Mymble hurried off as soon as she heard that Nels person say some sort of farewell. Her heart was pounding in her chest-- it almost felt hard to breathe. She hoped she wasn’t too suspicious, but she was just terrified… She sped along the dirt pathway, soon straying down a more rough pathway, refusing to slow down until she could see the beach. Mymble had to push away her stupid, vainity-fueled thoughts as the wind pulled more of her hair loose, swaying in her face as she headed along the path to the rocky edge of the beach. She glanced back along the path that trod through the overgrown grasses and sighed softly when she saw no one.

Mymble took a few deep breaths and stepped onto the sand, stopping to gather herself. She felt so stupid for how she handled that-- for being so unprepared. She slowly reached into her basket, feeling the letter, sitting on top of the bandages and such. She pulled it out to examine it again, frowning. How would the hunter get a hold of this?

Mymble headed up to the bathhouse, tucking the letter back inside her basket. She knocked gently and, after a moment, Too-Ticky opened the door. The smell of some sort of fish stew mixed with the salty sea air almost immediately. Mymble didn’t realize she still looked so nervous until she saw Too-Ticky’s face change from pleasant to worried. Too-Ticky offered her hand, frowning softly.

“Mymble, what’s the matter?” She asked, pulling Mymble inside. Mymble hesitated before deflating.

“A man approached me on my way here-- I think it could have been one of the hunters.” Mymble explained, setting her basket down as Too-Ticky shut the door. “I hope you don’t mind me staying inside for a little bit.” She murmured, pulling her jacket off. Snufkin peered out from the corner he usually shared with Moomin whenever company arrived-- tucked away amongst some storage. The two boys had been covered with old blankets. Mymble picked her basket back up and approached the two. “Can I describe him and see if you remember him..? He had a letter too.” She reached into her basket and pulled out the envelope. Moomin immediately shot up. 

“We left that behind while we were running! It has to be one of them…” He murmured, holding his paw out to take the letter. “We left it so we could get them off our tails…” Mymble handed it over, sighing at the way the child’s ears drooped when he saw the envelope really was the one he thought it was. Moomin handed the crinkled paper over to Snufkin. “I-it’s yours, after all.” Snufkin was quiet for a moment but left the letter in his lap. He looked up at his older sister.

“What did he say to you?” He asked, fingers tracing the edge of the envelope. “...and what did he look like?”

Mymble didn’t hesitate to answer one bit. “He wanted me to point him to Moominhouse-- I didn’t. He was trying to use the letter as an excuse…” She explained, pushing a stray lock of hair out of her face. “He really was a big person… Very intimidating. He called himself Nels.” Moomin groaned, laying back down, ear pressed to the floorboards below. Mymble stiffened, worried she said something wrong. “Oh, I really didn’t tell him. I promise, I never would.” Moomin peered up at her.

“No, I’m not upset at you! I’m just annoyed because my stupid letter keeps trying to lead those hunters right to us! If someone who hadn't been suspicious of that guy was in your shoes…” He mumbled, hiding his face in his arms. Too-Ticky rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. As infectious as Moomin’s depressive episodes were, Too-Ticky had to admit that they were running on a lot of luck here. It was a dangerous gamble, this mess.

Eventually Snufkin cleared his throat, cutting the awkward silence short. “Well, regardless, I still appreciate your letter, Moomin. We’re very lucky that it made its way back to us.” He tried to reason, placing a hand on Moomin’s shoulder. “I know it says ‘don’t open until midwinter’ but… I might just get too impatient.” He tried to smile and glanced over at Mymble and Too-Ticky through the corner of his eye. One half of him was just anxious due to having an audience, the other was hoping to see some sort of confirmation that he was saying the right words. “And I don’t think anyone blames you for any of this. It’s not your fault that those men are just nasty folk.” Snufkin was quiet until he saw Moomin’s eye peeking out from his arms, making sure that his friend could see his smile. “I haven’t heard any objections, have you?” He asked, releasing Moomin and leaning back onto his heels. Moomin sighted and shook his head, but Too-Ticky definitely saw how grateful he was.

Eventually, Mymble stood, picking up her basket. “Now, I’d hate to keep you three from having your lunch… I’ll just leave the bandages and such here and I’ll be going to the police immediately. I shouldn’t hesitate too long on that…” She hummed, pulling the bundled goods from her basket and handing it down to Snufkin. She cast a wave to both of the boys soon after before she was seen out by Too-Ticky. 

Once the two were outside, Too-Ticky took Mymble’s hand again. “It might have been dangerous to come here… just be a lot more careful now, alright?” Mymble nodded quietly, earning a clap on the shoulder blade from Too-Ticky. “Good. Still, thank you for the supplies.” The blonde smiled and sent Mymble on her way, sitting out on the steps for now, cautious of anybody that could find their way to them. She watched Mymble go, hoping she would be okay and talk to the inspector as soon as possible. She didn’t know how much chaos those hunters would be willing to cause. All she knew is that if their pay was good, it’d be worth it to them. Too-Ticky pulled her hat off and ran a hand through her mess of hair. After a moment, Too-Ticky stood back up and headed to the bathhouse,placing her hat on her head.

After locking the door behind her, she headed to the furnace. Moomintroll and Snufkin had moved out into a more open spot so they could more comfortably change Moomin’s bandages. The boys were discussing ways they could spend the rest of their day-- without just sleeping the whole afternoon, of course. Too-Ticky listened to their banter, trying to come up with something, herself. Occupying the kids would probably lift their spirits a little, but it wasn’t like there was much they could do in the bathhouse. The children couldn’t play or make music and their limited supplies didn’t lend itself to that much creativity.

Snufkin had some things in his pack-- differing sets of cards and some whittling things-- and Moomin wouldn’t mind just watching his friend work, but their card games had grown tired and they shouldn’t frivolously use up their wood. Too-Ticky ladled three bowls of stew out, setting two beside the boys before picking up her own. 

“I wish I had better things for you to do.” She hummed, sitting down. Snufkin shrugged. He was fine with danger, but in this case being bored was the better option. Moomin picked up his bowl, taking a deep breath of the hot air that radiated off of it.

“Well, I wouldn’t mind sharing stories today-- but we don’t want to run out of stories, do we?” He smiled a bit. Snufkin thanked Too-Ticky for the meal and hummed.

“I wouldn’t mind it either. How about you, Too-Ticky?” Snufkin asked before starting to eat.

“I guess we’re telling stories then!” She chuckled. “One story each if you’re so worried about us running out.” Too-Ticky looked at Moomin teasingly. She just about saw the troll’s fur turning pink! She laughed a bit. “Alright then, who’ll start?”


	8. Chapter 8

Despite all their storytelling, the early-winter’s day was relentless. It had dragged on and on and had unsurprisingly exhausted both Moomin and Snufkin. But, luckily, Too-Ticky could distract herself with chores while the boys were stuck playing word games while pressed together amongst all the storage and clutter that had built up in the bathhouse over the years. Too-Ticky had taken some liberties with how the small little building was arranged so that the boys could be hidden much easier while she was gone.

Supper had passed much more quietly than lunch had. Moomin hated to admit that he missed My’s ridiculous conversation topics, but he did. It was terrible! At least the meal was good, rich in flavor. It was the only exciting thing about the day aside from Mymble’s story of the man. And afterwards, they all made a melody up together. While they couldn’t use their voices or instruments in their entirety, they definitely could hum. Snufkin took a mental note to remember that tune for later, even.

Luckily for the three, night kept falling sooner and sooner as of late and Snufkin and Moomin took that as an opportunity to sleep more, even if Too-Ticky would be out even as the sun set. Moomin had no real issue falling asleep, Snufkin surmised that the stress and exhaustion the whole ordeal left had to do with it, but he longed for that as well. Sleep didn’t come too easily to him, leaving him in the awkward air for a while. He was left to think and imagine, scenarios perhaps dancing through his mind that often made it much harder to relax. He never knew when he would fall asleep, he just would. However, tonight was something different.

Snufkin was sitting awkwardly, stuck cross-legged and very much awake. He couldn’t help it-- he was anxious. Staying in the bathhouse for so long was already wearing on him, especially having to cram himself between boxes whenever Mymble came over or they were alone. Moomin’s behaviour also made it a bit difficult to sleep. Snufkin just wished he could wrest all of the sadness that plagued his friend away sometimes. The days kept growing shorter and shorter… Snufkin didn’t like how cold it was, either. It meant it was very cold for much longer. Whereas Moomin had his winter coat and Too-Ticky was adjusted to cold weather, Snufkin was freezing. At night, he’d settle himself next to the furnace, curled into a tight ball. In the morning, however, he’d find Moomin pressed against his back. 

Snufkin knew that the confrontation Mymble had on the way to the bathhouse earlier likely had a part to play in his inability to sleep that night, though. Sure, having a clear description of the hunters helped, but he just wished they would vanish entirely. If that man looked right through Mymble, then he could have followed her. They could be planning a raid or something! Maybe they could hurt Mymble for information… He shook his head. Nope. He shouldn’t go there. He had to distract himself somehow

He tried to lay down once again, but his muscles were tense and begging for him to move. Okay, maybe sleeping all the time had messed up his sleep schedule too. Funny, though, as his father never turned down an opportunity to nap. Despite having never met him, Snufkin knew just how different they were. Snufkin groaned, shaking his head. Curse his brain. Why couldn’t it shut up sometimes! 

Snufkin looked at the unopened letter that sat not too far from him against his pack, taking a deep breath. Well, it’d be better than staring at the furnace all night, lost to his thoughts. He sat up, shrugging free of his blanket and crawling over to retrieve it before hurrying back and getting himself situated under the blanket once more. He shifted so that he was lying on his side and the letter’s surface was made visible in the dim light. Snufkin looked down at the envelope, seeing the writing in the furnace’s warm glow. He smiled a bit and began to open it. He was glad it hadn’t been sealed too well. He didn’t want to wake either Moomin or Too-Ticky with his curiosity. He didn’t tear the paper too loudly if he had to tear it at all.

Once the letter was free from its envelope, Snufkin unfolded it, an unregistered tension reaching all the way up his back Suddenly, some boards creaked in a wild gush of powerful wind. Snufkin nearly jumped right out of his skin, anxiety rising in him once again. He cursed himself mentally for letting the slightest thing set him off. It was the wind; it could only be the wind. He set the letter down on the floorboards, running both hands through his hair at the temples. A shiver ran through him, though he wasn’t sure if it was the cold or just his fear grasping at him again.

He took a few deep breaths, soon picking the letter back up. A few dried flowers slid onto the floor. just as Moomin had said. He got into a more comfortable position and started reading.

_ Dear Snufkin, _

_ I know this isn’t usual for me but I thought this could be a good idea! I may be asleep right now, but ̶m̶y̶ ̶h̶e̶a̶r̶t̶ ̶w̶i̶l̶l̶ ̶I̶ ̶k̶n̶o̶w̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ Sorry that I keep crossing out my words, I keep writing such silly things! Well, I’m writing this the night before you leave Moominvalley so I’m rushing myself a lot. I know I always rush into things but...this letter isn’t going to make much sense.  _

Snufkin could see Moomin was about to scratch out the whole paragraph, he couldn’t help but feel glad that Moomin didn’t. 

_ I wanted to send you a little piece of Moominvalley this year. I know this winter is probably just going to pass like any other and you’ll be back in the spring but my chest has been feeling all funny lately you know? It’s almost different from how I usually feel and Pappa said it helps to write about it. I’m not sure if I’ll give this to you, this will probably be the most embarrassing letter between us ever if I do. _

_ I always miss you, even if I’m asleep, and that makes me think you might really miss me too! I pressed your favorite flowers back when they were in bloom, as you probably found out by now. I know it doesn’t compare to being around the real living flower, but I thought it’d be nice to be able to have them? I don’t know, it’s rather late right now. _

_ I can assure you, I’ll be ready to hear all about your travels once you’re back!  _

_ l̶o̶v̶e̶ ̶M̶o̶o̶m̶i̶n̶ _

_ Your friend, _

_ Moomintroll _

Snufkin stifled a chuckle as he read the letter. Moomin hadn’t done a great job at scratching sections out but he didn’t mind all too much. There wasn’t much to the letter, but Snufkin could tell Moomin had struggled to put his thoughts together so he appreciated it nonetheless. Some part of Snufkin felt that Moomin hadn’t meant to give him this letter or something… But articulating feelings was never easy for Snufkin, either. The soft aroma of the flowers definitely had helped him settle his anxiety a bit… Snufkin folded the letter up and set it back in its envelope-- along with the flowers. 

His heart felt fluttery at the sentiment. Perhaps that’s just what Moomin meant by the funny feeling he had in his chest. Snufkin took a deep breath and placed his hand on his chest. Moomin had written ‘love’. It was such a minor thing but it made him feel warm. The cold bit at his fingertips, sending shivers through his bones and up his arms. How did he end up meeting those damned Moomins? They really were the truest family he’d ever have. He took a deep breath before pulling his blanket tight around him, curling up with his face to the fire yet again.

Snufkin started to let his mind wander, but the lingering smell of the flowers pushed his thoughts into a more positive light. It would definitely seem he’d be sleeping fairly well that night. He continued to watch the furnace’s dancing light, eyelids drooping further and further before he relinquished control and gave into sleep. 


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oops felt like posting a second chappy! Enjoy the bonus!

Snufkin was pulled out of his slumber by a loud pop. He jumped up, looking around frantically. It was that gun… that cursed gun. Too-Ticky had been woken up too and she was standing up slowly. The two made eye contact, an understanding almost immediately being reached between them. Too-Ticky whispered quickly, listening for anything else.

“Hide. Now.” She moved towards the door, pressing her ear to the wood. Snufkin shook Moomin lightly, trying to wake him. It took a few tries before he got his friend to awaken. Moomin blinked, looking around the room with confused eyes.

“What..? it isn’t…” Moomin began to speak but Snufkin quickly hushed him and stood up. Moomin’s confusion remained, though it was mixing with fear. Soon realization dawned on Moomin’s face and he tried to get up as well, leaning on Snufkin heavily. They heard a voice shouting outside-- a familiar and unwelcome one. Snufkin cringed and The two forced their way under the junk stored in their corner, pulling a blanket over themselves for good measure. Moomin held tightly to Snufkin's smock, ears pressed to his head. He didn’t want to die… not yet. Not for years! Outside of their pile of junk, Too-Ticky took a deep breath and looked at the door.

"Who's out there?" She called, voice firm. There was a moment of silence, leaving the boys in quiet fear, gripping each other and praying it wasn’t the worst. As seconds ticked and silence dragged on, Too-Ticky frowned. “Hello?” She tried again, confidence wavering. Something hit the door hard with a cry. Mymble’s voice trembled when she finally spoke.

“I-It’s Mymble..” She managed. Too-Ticky went stiff, staring at the door handle for a moment before opening the door. Too-Ticky shoved herself into the doorway, fists clenched tight. A human man was standing there, easily gripping Mymble by her wrists with one large hand. She looked a bit beaten up, eyes teary. Strands of her hair hung over her face, a dark bruise forming on her temple. “I’m sorry…” She whispered. Too-Ticky’s brain worked quickly, trying to find out how to deescalate that situation.

“What do you want and why have you hurt my friend?” She asked, still blocking the door. The man chuckled and spoke, leaning on the door frame.

“Oh, I think you know full and well.” At the sound of the man’s voice, Moomin gripped tighter to Snufkin, heart pounding. Too-Ticky swallowed down the rising anxiety that tried to escape her, trying to speak calmly and surely.

“I don’t. Elaborate.” Too-Ticky glared up at the man. “And let Mymble go.” She added the second part without really thinking. Nels hummed, jostling Mymble around a bit as he spoke.

“Well…” He began. “I have good reason to assume you’re harboring a moomin that I’m after thanks to this one…” The man smacked Mymble hard on the back, making her stumble with a cry. He gave an all-to-sweet smile to Too-Ticky as he spoke. “If you hand the kid over, I won’t hurt this little lady anymore.”

“They’re not here.” Too-Ticky grunted, standing her ground.

“Then I suppose you wouldn’t mind me getting a look inside then?” Too-Ticky’s chest felt tight but she had to shake her head. Maybe he just wouldn’t look too hard..? She doubted it, but they didn’t have a ton of options-- especially if he still had a gun on him. However, Mymble was quickly shoved into her arms with a bit too much force behind the action. Too-Ticky stumbled a bit, nearly falling back. She quickly led Mymble out of the doorway, heart pounding. Hopefully those kids’ luck would check out again. Mymble held onto Too-Ticky tightly, trembling. The other woman rubbed her back gently, trying to comfort her.

“Did you make it to the inspector..? How badly are you hurt?” She asked, waiting for Mymble to speak.

“Y-yes… He grabbed me after I left the station…” She explained softly. “I-I’m so sorry… I-I was terribly stupid.” Too-Ticky was quiet, looking at the man as he entered the bathhouse. Nels didn’t bother being quiet, calling out for his little ‘turtle doves’. He looked around the dark room, heavy footsteps echoing against the water below the floor. Paper shuffled under his feet and he chuckled. Snufkin stiffened-- shit. 

“Looks like one of them’s gotta be here… If I find one, I’ll find the other.” Nels commented, picking up the envelope. “Unless you girls like opening other people’s mail.” He looked over his shoulder, grinning at Too-Ticky and Mymble. They both looked at him with wide eyes. The man’s grin grew. “I doubt the two of you are  _ that _ nosy.” He turned back around, dropping the letter and pulling his gun, making sure everyone could hear him pulling the hammer back. He examined how the metal gleamed in the furnace’s dim glow. “Now I need everyone to listen closely… If you boys don’t come out, I’ll put some lead in your friends here.” Nels claimed, waving the gun in a circular motion, grinning.

After a moment, the storage pile moved and Moomin pulled himself out, followed by Snufkin. Moomin’s eyes were wide and frightened, ears still just as low. Nels motioned for him to come with the gun. The quiet tension hung in the air as Snufkin helped Moomin stand up once again. 

The man looked over Snufkin, humming. “Well then, no wonder Mymble over here looked familiar.” His smile, though warm, was utterly menacing to the children. Too-Ticky looked in the doorway, glaring harshly.

“Now you leave them alone! They’re just children!”

“Yeah, yeah… He might be small for a coat, but I’m getting paid per catch. Don’t matter much to me.” Nels noted. “Who knows, maybe he’ll make a good pet until he’s fully grown.” Moomin and Snufkin were dead silent, not even looking at him. Nels chuckled, pressing the butt of his revolver against Moomin’s forehead, pushing to force the kid to look at him. “Now, take me home to see your mamma and pappa, huh? Or else somebody is getting shot…” 

Too-Ticky didn’t know what to do… she could only watch. This wasn’t like Ninny-- she couldn’t just help them run away or something. This was completely different! People were getting seriously hurt now. Moomintroll and Snufkin shared a quiet moment of eye contact before they headed out to the beach. Snufkin helped Moomin along. Once Moomin’s good paw finally touched sand, he turned back to Too-Ticky and Mymble and gave them a tired smile.

“Th-thank you for everything.” He said just loud enough for them to hear. “I’m sorry that… that you got hurt…” Mymble stared, unable to put together words. Nels cleared his throat, gesturing with the revolver again. 

He snapped at Moomin, whacking him in the back of the head. “Move, kid. If we don’t get there by sunrise, your friend is dead meat.” Snufkin cringed at the words and soon enough the duo were moving yet again. They were ruminating on Nels’ words about Moomin being a pet. At least then he’d have the opportunity to run but… Moominmamma and Moominpappa wouldn’t be so lucky. Snufkin was running through his thoughts on how to get out of this situation but he had nothing. He didn’t want to die-- not yet. Both he and Moomin were both far too young for that. The two continued to lead the way towards Moonminhouse, Moomin thinking as he stared off into the dark night. 

“I-it will be a bit hard to get there with it being so dark…” Moomin said softly, but he was ignored. They were lucky the moon shone so brightly. Moomin just wanted to be held by his parents more than anything. He trembled in Snufkin’s arms, tears slipping down his fluffy little cheeks. He was going to lose everything no matter what happened now. 

Dead grass, tinged with frost crunched under Snufkin’s boots as the sand slowly turned into the grassy knolls of the valley. He might have found this beautiful on any other night-- the way the moonlight glimmered on the frost. The sounds of night animals were quite rare now that winter was here. The most he could hear was an owl or two. Despite how clear the sky was, Snufkin had a feeling that snow would be upon them soon… perhaps that could be a chance for escape?

Soon, Moominhouse peered out of the dying foliage, windows dark. Moomintroll glanced at Nels, taking a deep breath. 

“When… when will you let Snufkin go?” He asked. 

“Maybe I won’t, kid. You’ll find out soon enough.” Nels grunted, looking at Moominhouse, humming. “Shoulda known it’d be the big fucking house-- considering this is  _ Moomin _ valley. Suppose it’s more fun this way, though.” Moomin quickly turned back to look at his home. The look on Nels’ face when he was thinking about it made Moomin’s whole body shiver-- or maybe that was just the pinpricks of cold that seeped through his paw pads. He could hear Nels fiddling with his gun behind them. “The thrill of seeing the horror on my prey’s face is one that never gets old.” He laughed raucously.

Snufkin made Moomin stop on the bridge, turning to look at Nels. “Reconsider this, please; the Moomins are good people! No money could possibly--”

“Can it, kid.” Nels snapped, pushing the gun against Snufkin’s nose, silencing the boy immediately. Moomin pulled Snufkin away, shakily standing in front of him.

“No!” Moomin shouted, “You’re not hurting anybody!” He gripped the railing on the bridge tightly with one paw. “Y-you’ve done enough!” He was legitimately growling at that point, something Snufkin still genuinely wasn’t used to after his years of knowing Moomin. Nels laughed, jovially smacking Moomin’s snout with his gun.

“Look, kiddo, you have no power here. You try anything and your friend’s gonna be losing his brains.” He shoved Moomin back, forcing him to land on his bad foot; he nearly pushed him into the stream, if it hadn’t been for Snufkin being there to help him steady himself. No amount of ‘steadying’ could fix how powerful a cry Moomin had let out, however. Nels grinned and gestured to Moominhouse. “Look, we got an audience now-- why don’t you bring them on out for me, huh?” The children’s heads whipped around quickly, seeing one of the guest rooms’ lights on. Moomin rose to his feet slowly, carefully, and with Snufkin’s help. The two shuffled across the bridge, both overwhelmed by anxiety. It was over. They’d lost and everything was ruined forever.


	10. Chapter 10

Little My was never a light sleeper. It took a great deal of effort to wake her up… usually. But somehow, she woke up. She heard someone cry out somewhere. It wasn’t just a familiar cry either, it was a familiar  _ pained _ cry. She got up out of bed and pulled herself up onto the side table to light a candle so that she could actually see in the room. How late was it? Who was outside at this hour besides the old Groke? 

She finally managed to get the candle lit when Sniff ran in holding his own.

“Little My! Moomin’s outside!” He cried, eyes wide.

“What? You heard it too then, right?” She blinked slowly, still just barely registering what was going on. She hopped off the side table and stretched. It took a moment for words to connect in her mind. “Wait, that was Moomin?” She looked up at Sniff, frowning. Sniff nodded quickly.

“Come on, we gotta go wake up Moominmamma and Moominpappa!” he urged, peering out the window, ears low. He jumped when he heard a voice calling from below, but it was just Moomin calling for his parents. Sniff shivered, his fur rising up. “Oh by the booble, this is terrible..! My, what do we do?”

“Can it, for one thing.” My huffed, rubbing her eyes. “I think we should get Moominpappa. Doesn’t he have his old gun around here or something? Maybe he could just shoot the hunter!”

“He doesn’t have it anymore, remember?” Sniff whined, tail lashing so violently it could just about knock My off her feet. My smacked his tail.

“Then I don’t know, stupid!” It was way too early for this. “You said you wanted to wake up Moominmamma and pappa so let’s go do that. If anything, they could come up with something.” She led the way into the hall with Sniff close behind with their light. They could hear Moomin again. This was really bad. If he was here, that meant that those hunter guys were here too. My ran barefoot down the stairs, listening as Sniff described the scene to her. A man they didn’t know was holding Snufkin while Moomin was on his knees just a short ways from the veranda. Sniff couldn’t make out a ton of details in the moonlight, but he couldn’t possibly mistake Moomin. My turned the corner, grabbing the banister to keep her from falling over. “I will bite that hunter, even if it’s the last thing I do.” My declared, brows furrowed in anger. Sniff didn’t even try to say no to that.

The two hurried along into where Moominmamma and Moominpappa had been hiding out, their light almost immediately waking up Moominpappa. His fur rose in anger as he sat up, turning to face the light. His fur was all puffed up and his arm was held out to protect his wife. He opened his mouth, about to unleash a warning but he soon realized that it was just the kids and slumped, concern lacing his voice.

“What's the matter, you two?” He asked, shaking his fur to help it lie flat again. “What time is it?” Sniff completely disregarded the question, stepping forward beside Little My.

“Moomin is outside! I-I think one of those hunters has him!” He explained, not bothering to whisper. Moominmamma needed to wake up as well, anyways. Little My walked over to Moominmamma, nudging her snout.

“Moominmamma, Mamma, you need to get up right now!” She urged. “It’s important, Mamma!” Moominmamma hummed as she was pulled from her sleep.

“Oh! Little My, did I oversleep?” My quickly shook her head and opened her mouth to explain, but Moominpappa was quick to speak.

“Those damned hunters found Moomin, dear. I’m afraid we’re out of luck now.” He muttered, placing his hat on his head. “I have one last idea but I’m not sure if it will work.” Moominmamma sat upright, eyes widening. 

“No… Pappa, that just can’t be!” She gasped, ears lowering. She pushed her covers off and started to stand up. Little My grabbed her hand.

“We gotta find out what to do!” She said firmly. “We haven’t tried everything yet, there’s gotta be something.” Little My looked at Moominpappa, hoping for him to have some sort of plan, but he was still listening to Sniff explain what he could see. Thankfully, it didn’t seem Sniff was exaggerating things this time. My turned back to Moominmamma who seemed to be deep in thought. She lifted her apron and handbag.

“We could try some sort of trade… Maybe we have something else they could want?” Moominmamma offered, looking to her husband. Moominpappa hummed thoughtfully.

“Maybe, maybe… We just have to get our boys away from those horrible people.” He held out a hand to Moominmama. “Come on, we need to move before anything bad can happen.”

The parlor looked dark and intimidating by the candlelight. Moomin was still crying out, just about tearing Moominmamma’s heart in two. Her son was out there hurt and scared… Her tail lashed anxiously. Pappa held her close, letting out a shuddering breath.

“Alright. We need to get Sniff and Little My out of here without letting the hunter know they’re here.” He stated, looking at the drapes that obscured the large window that peered out into the lawn. “Then Mamma and I will handle trying to negotiate with the hunter.” He looked at his family, face showing determination. He released his wife and began his usual pacing. “Now--” Suddenly, there was another voice outside, interrupting Moominpappa’s thoughts.

“I have a couple of kids here and it’d be a real shame if I had to paint the grass with them, huh? Why don’t you get your asses out here and we can talk civil-like.” The man shouted. Moominmamma quickly put a paw to her chest, eyes wide. 

She soon began to speak, looking primarily to Moominpappa. “If we have the children go out the back door, they can run while we confront the hunter. So they don’t get hurt.” When she got a nod from him, she turned to Sniff and Little My. “You heard what I said, but… run to Sniff’s house and don’t hesitate, alright? Pappa and I will do our best to make sure Moomin and Snufkin get let go.” Both children looked very hesitant, absolutely quiet. After a moment, Sniff sighed in defeat and nodded, but My refused to answer. Mamma sighed sadly. “Little My, please, I’d hate for either of you two to get hurt in all of this.” She murmured, kneeling down closer to My’s level. My crossed her arms, shoulders drawn in tight.

“But what about you guys?” My asked, her usual sour look weakened by worry. “B-besides, Snufkin’s out there, too! I need to help him.” She threw out her arms for exaggeration.

“I know, Little My, but you have to understand. I doubt he’d want you getting hurt either.” Moominmamma explained softly before pulling My into a gentle hug.

“Okay…” My finally muttered, hugging Moominmamma back. She was set down with a kiss on the forehead when they heard a warning shot. Sniff jumped, crying out in fear. Moominpappa took a deep breath.

“You two ought to go now. Remember, keep running.” He ordered before offering his arm to Moominmamma and headed to the front door. Before they even stepped out onto the veranda, the Moomins were met with the sight of their poor boy, on his knees in the grass. Moominmamma fought the urge to run out to him immediately. Moominpappa glared out to the hunter, stepping out to the veranda steps. Nels was standing there, one hand on Snufkin’s shoulder and the other pointing a gun at Moomin. Moomin tried to get up as soon as his parents came out, but his ankle was in agony from the trek there.

“Mamma! Pappa!” He cried, fingers gripping the grass tight as tears slid down his cheeks. Moominpappa released his wife, stepping closer to Nels, fists held tight.

“I will go with you without a fight if you leave my family be.” He stated firmly, eyes locked on the gun. He shoved his nerves away. He was doing what was right: protecting his family. Even if it meant him dying. Moominmamma grabbed Pappa’s arm, eyes wide.

“Wait, Pappa, you can’t just do that..! I thought we… well we have things of value-- nobody has to get hurt again, dear!” She said, voice a bit frantic. The clouds began to obscure the sky, casting dark shadows around the scene. Nels laughed, looking at Snufkin as if he were joking with an old friend. It made the boy’s skin crawl.

“Now…” Nels began, “Why on Earth would I take that offer? Why get paid for one when I could get paid for three, huh?” He let out another hearty laugh. Snufkin tried to squirm away, but Nels held strong. “‘Sides, the boss would probably just pay some other chump to fetch the rest of the set! Even the runt, here!” He gestured with the gun, highlighting where Moomin was slumped over in the grass. The boy was just a white lump, crying into his arms. Moominmamma couldn’t hold it back anymore; her little Moomintroll needed her. She tried to keep calm as she walked towards her son. Moominpappa was close behind her, eyes locked on Nels. He’d fight that man to the death if it meant his family would be safe… and it might come to that if an opportunity comes up. Moominmamma knelt down in front of Moomin, gently taking hold of his arms. Moomin looked up at his parents, ears perking up. He hugged his mother tight, curling close to her as he sobbed. 

Snufkin watched quietly as the family reunited, far too aware of Nels pulling the hammer back again. He took hold of the man’s wrist, flinching as the gun was shifted from Moomin onto him. He took a moment to gather himself before he could speak.

“How much are you getting paid? If we can pay you more than your employer can’t… can’t you tell them that Moominvalley isn’t worth the trouble?” He asked, avoiding looking directly into the gun’s barrel. “I-I mean…” He trailed off, deciding it wasn’t worth rambling. Moominpappa looked over when he heard the other boy speak, having completely forgotten he was there. He stood back up straight.

“Now you let that boy go! He has nothing to do with this.” He huffed, before agreeing with what Snufkin had said. “And we  _ can _ pay you-- we have gold in the gardens that you can take. Take as much as you’d like.”

Nels shoved the gun further into Snufkin’s face, sneering. “Now you make a good point, you really do, but I have a reputation to uphold as well!” He chuckled a bit, turning back to face the Moomins. “I suggest you come along before your son gets to see his little turtledove’s brains.” The barrel of the revolver was practically pressed to the bridge of Snufkin’s nose. Moominmamma looked up, her arms keeping Moomin from turning to see. Snufkin was practically a second son to her, seeing him a fingertip away from death made her utterly furious.

“Stop this, they’re just children!” She demanded. “They’ve done nothing to deserve this.” She pulled her son, somehow, even close to her chest. Nels rolled his eyes, moving his hand from Sufkin’s shoulder to gripping his hair, forcing his head up so the revolver sat under his jaw.

“The world’s never cared about who deserves it, doll. Now, either we get moving, or else.” He hissed, digging the metal into Snufkin’s chin, keeping his mouth shut. Snufkin winced, feeling the cold pressure against the muscles there. Moominpappa took a deep breath before holding a hand out to help Moomintroll get up. Moomin shakily grabbed his father’s hand, looking over at Snufkin now that he was free from his mother’s hold. Moominpappa put his arm around his son, feeling the way Moomin was shaking.

“Relax, my boy,” He said softly. Moominmamma stood up next to them, placing a hand on Moomin’s back. Soon, the three went over to Nels. However, Nels didn’t release Snufkin. He pulled the gun away from Snufkin’s chin, humming thoughtfully for a moment. Moominpappa cleared his throat. “Aren’t you letting him go? He isn’t a part of your job description, isn’t he?” Nels shifted his grip on Snufkin’s hair, smirking back at Moominpappa.

“Well, he looks pretty useful to me. Especially if he’ll keep helping you animals stay in line.” He explained, yanking the boy as he started back over the bridge. Snufkin let out a cry, grabbing onto Nels’ hand by instinct. Nels laughed at the pitiful noise. “Come on, you lot. We have places to be.”


	11. Chapter 11

It was the first snowfall in Moominvalley, and luckily, most of the inhabitants of the valley were indoors-- save for a few. The Moomins were some of those few. Snufkin was stumbling behind Nels, scalp burning in pain from being dragged by his hair. He was so close to just whipping around and biting that criminal! If only he could... Moominpappa was quiet, mostly just thinking up ways to get his son out of this situation. Moomin kept leaning on his father, head resting on his shoulder. Moominmamma was left to her own thoughts as all of them were too upset to really speak. 

She was primarily occupied by keeping track of where they were headed-- not that it would matter. The snow may have been light then, but it would only get heavier. How did this Nels person expect to get them down south once the snow really started to come down? She sighed, looking out at the moon as it faded in and out of view between chunks of clouds. It was slowly making its way down the sky. It filled Moominmamma with dread for some odd reason. She tore her eyes away and tried to think of something else to ruminate over.

Neither she nor Moominpappa knew how exactly the hunters got a hold of the boys yet… She could only hope that Too-Ticky and Mymble weren’t hurt in the process. Luckily, she knew Sniff and Little My were alright for the time being. They could probably hibernate or return to Moominhouse now. She felt the cold winds blowing through her coat, making her shiver, stepping closer to her family for the warmth. Snufkin was quite obviously in pain. It made Moominmamma furious to see someone so casually abusing a child.

For a while, the only sound that Moominmamma could register was her family and Nels trudging along the barren trees. After a while, though, she found her ears twitching at some other, faint noise that was breaking the monotony. She glanced around a bit, but the area was dark for the most part. It sounded like tiny footsteps… It wasn’t until she saw a flash of red hair in the moonlight did she realize that her worst fears were true. Moominmamma’s eyes shot wide open. What was Little My doing? She couldn’t say anything or else Nels would know but… Little My was still in her nightclothes for heaven’s sake! She put herself in far too much danger. Even if she wasn’t caught, she could very well freeze to death.

Moominmamma was so focused on searching for where My disappeared to, she hardly noticed that a wagon came into view, the Sneak fellow that Snufkin had described, was passed out across his sleeping horse’s back. Nels shouted up to his partner.

“Hey, Sneak, we’re going. Wake up.” He got up into the back of the wagon, finally releasing Snufkin, leaving him shivering against the wood of the cart. When the Moomins got over, Snufkin helped Moominpappa get Moomin up as well and, soon enough, all four of Nels’ captives were in the cart. Nels yawned and laid back, crossing his arms. “Okay, Sneak. They try anything, shoot the extra down.” 

“Yeah, yeah, I get it.” Sneak mumbled, still groggy. He climbed over to his seat, luckily not seeing the little girl running past. Moominmamma took the time they had now to look over the boys, making sure they weren’t hurt any more than she already knew. Luckily they were both relatively okay-- aside from Snufkin being very, very cold. 

“Don’t worry, dear…” Moominmamma reassured. “We’ll help you keep warm.” She smiled at Snufkin. “I know you’re not terribly fond of small spaces, but I promise you, we won’t hurt you, alright?”

Nels cut in before Snufkin could speak. “Shut up, you old bag!” He grumbled, waving his hand (which still held the gun) around in her general direction. Pappa was visibly furious but remained quiet. Snufkin sighed and nodded quietly, shifting over so that he was between Moomin and Moominmamma. The cart was terribly cramped in the first place, so everyone was curled close together. Just as the cart was starting to move, Moominamma heard a whisper, calling her name. She just barely heard Little My over the creaking wheels as they were put into motion. My was a bit too short to reach the edge of the cart, her walk slowly turning to a jog to keep up.

She was obviously in pain, no thanks to her bare feet. She was wincing and gasping at the sticks and rocks that had been scraping at her, especially since she didn’t have any tough paw pads protecting her soles. She jumped, trying to reach the cart but ultimately stumbled, tripping over her own feet. Moominmamma tensed up before leaning over and holding her paw out to Little My. Moominmamma hadn’t had the time to notice her family watching her in confusion as Little My rushed forward again, the best she could on her cold, wobbly legs. My grabbed onto Moominmamma with both hands, holding on tight to mamma’s wrist as she started to pull her up.

The cart jostled on the bumpy path, nearly knocking My and Moominmamma right off, but Snufkin and Moomin were quick to help steady her. Moominmamma pulled Little My up with a fair amount of ease. The girl wasn’t heavy enough to cause too much of a problem. Little My hugged onto Moominmamma, panting heavily. Mamma held her close to her chest, sighing in relief.

“Goodness, Little My,” Moominmamma whispered. “Why did you run after us like that..? You’re not hurt too badly, are you?” she asked, cupping Little My’s face with a paw. My only shrugged. It was a shame it was too dark to get a good look. Moominmamma turned to the boys. Snufkin and Moomin looked rather concerned while Moominpappa looked like a mix of relieved and disappointed. Moominmamma carefully offered My to Snufkin, her eyes darting to their captors just in case.

My didn’t fight as she was set down into Snufkin’s arms for the time being as Moominmamma held onto the side of the cart to settle back into a more comfortable position. My hugged her brother, shivering worse than he had been, even. Snufkin stared in silent shock for a moment. What on earth was she doing here? And in that state no less! He glanced over at Nels for a moment before simply wrapping his sister up in his arms to help her stay warm-- and hidden. He didn’t want Little My to be used the way he was… Like a damned pawn against his own friends! He shuffled back into a lounging position, Moomin following suit.

Snufkin curled up quietly, his forehead pressed against Moomin’s snout. Moomin was watching the siblings, ears low. This was bad… but he’d make sure they stayed safe. If anybody else got hurt, he didn’t know if he could handle the guilt of it all. My was shaking terribly in the darkness of the cruel night, stray snowflakes landing on both her and Snufkin. Moomin hesitated before hugging the two, trying to shield them from the wind and snow. Moominmamma watched the scene sadly, wishing there was something that could be done. Neither Nels or the Sneak were looking. If she could, she’d have the children all run, but the glinting of Nels’ revolver in the moonlight squashed that hope just as easily as it came.

Moomin whispered to his friends, worry lacing his voice. “I-is this better? Are you warmer?” He asked, trying to shift his face to see them better, but Snufkin put a hand on his snout to stop him. Moomin squeaked, the fur on the back of his neck perking up a little bit.

“Thank you, Moomintroll.” Snufkin whispered back. Moomin managed a small smile and settled down. Moominmamma and Pappa ended up curling up around the kids as well to help the three stay warm. Moominpappa watched over his family carefully. They all dozed off one by one but him. He took a deep breath, placing a paw over his wife’s. Regardless of what happened, he was going to get her and Moomin out… If he couldn’t convince those criminals, he’d try and convince whoever hired them. If that didn’t work… well... He looked up at the sky, watching as the night faded into dawn.

Moominpappa felt absolutely drained as The Lonely Mountain began to loom over the cart. His energy and hope was fading fast. The snow had really begun to fall and the mountains would be near impossible to get through by wagon and it would certainly be an issue by foot with the children… Moomin’s ankle couldn’t possibly be healed very well by now. 

Sneak stretched, grunting. He patted his horse as he got up, looking at Nels. He nudged his partner with his boot, rolling his eyes at how the man was sleeping.

“Come on, you lug. We should make sure we’re ready to pass through before we set off.” Sneak said, hopping off the wagon, surveying the wheels and tongue to make sure they would be good on that front. He hummed to himself, admiring his handiwork. If anything, at least he had plenty of time to fix the wagon up nice for the journey back south while Nels was on the hunt. Moominpappa looked over at his captor, clearing his throat a bit.

“Where specifically are we going?” He asked cautiously. “There’s no getting through the valley with the snow coming in…”

“Yea, I know. Nels was insistent that we ‘play your games’ though. I wanted to leave much sooner, but I suppose we couldn’t leave empty handed.” Sneak knelt down, nudging at a wheel, examining the tension. “The guy’s a bit of a wacko. We’re headed to Adawood, by the way-- don’t know where you’ll be going from there.” Sneak fell into silence, sitting back. After a moment he sighed. “Hm, didn’t account for all the weight. Damn.” He wiped his hands on his worn-out pair of baggy pants. He stood, adjusting the strap of his suspenders. Moominpappa was watching, confused by how calm the criminal was, even acting like the average person. 

“You’re acting mighty cordial for a man who attacked a child.” He grunted, crossing his arms. Sneak let out a little bit of a chuckle, throwing up his hands.

“You got me, sir.” He hummed. “I ain’t taking a job like this again. A petty thief ain’t cut out for hit work-- makes me feel a bit ill, you know?.” He explained… without really explaining much. Sneak climbed back up into the wagon, glaring at Nels. He kicked Nels, a fair bit harder than he had before. “Nels, I told you to wake up, you--!” He snapped before getting cut off. In an instant, Sneak was looking down the barrel of Nels’ revolver. Nels let out a rough growl that almost sounded like a wild animal before realizing who had woke him up. His shoulders slumped with a groan.

“Never wake a man like that, Sneak. Thought you’d know better.” Nels hissed, glaring up at his partner.

Sneak scoffed, getting off the wagon again. “Well, unlike you, I have arrangements I still have to meet! We can’t just take forever here either-- it hasn’t stopped snowing since last night. If we don’t get to Adawood by--”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Not like you wouldn’t stop blathering on about it our whole way here, eh?” Nels interrupted. “Your fault if you get stuck here and you know it. You could have just taken the easy jobs.” Nels brushed the snow off his coat and found himself looking over at the Moomins, a smirk coming over his face. “That’s right, ain’t it? I caught our quarry last night.” Moominpappa shifted to that he was situated in front of his family. He spoke, voice low in warning.

“Now you’ve already won, leave my family be.”

“You’re not in a place to make demands.” Nels stated, standing over Pappa. “You’re the one with a wife and kids here.” Nels’ grin didn’t even twitch. Sneak, on the other hand, seemed to slump a bit. Moominpappa glanced back for a moment, seeing Moominmamma, now awake, watching him nervously. How long had she been up..? Pappa didn’t realize it, but his guard was falling down. He had to control himself or risk his family’s wellbeing. Nels took the opportunity to slam the revolver into the side of Moominpappa’s snout. His cry was enough to wake the kids in a near instant.

“Pappa!” Moominmamma exclaimed, paws going up to her face. Moominpappa took a moment, head swimming with the pain and shock. Nels laughed, kicking him for good measure.

“You four get your asses out.” He ordered, slipping out the side of the cart. Moominpappa grunted, barely registering his wife coming to his side. He only put two and two together when he felt her hand carefully touching where he was hit. Moomin was awake now, tail lashing anxiously as he looked up at his father. 

“Pappa, are you alright?” He asked, leaning forward. Moominpappa waved his hand dismissively.

“O-of course, my boy… Just a bit jumbled right now.” He said, rubbing his snout tentatively. Moominmamma motioned for the boys to go ahead without them but the duo were faced with the issue of Little My. Sure she was quite small, but where on earth could she be hidden?


	12. Chapter 12

Moomin and Snufkin both looked down at Little My, completely uncertain. They had no clue how to hide her! Snufkin hesitantly hopped off the cart, holding My so she wasn’t standing in the snow. Moomin joined them soon, the cold biting at his paws a bit, his winter coat fluffing up as a shiver ran up his spine. He leaned on Snufkin, as per usual, glancing down at the shivering My. Any way he could think to hide her was utterly stupid… 

Moomin listened to his mother speak softly with his father and soon enough they were on their feet beside him. Moomin looked up at Moominpappa worriedly, looking at where the gun had made contact. Moominpappa flashed him a weak smile and put a hand on his shoulder reassuringly. Moomin tried to return the smile but he was far too anxious. Snufkin shifted his hold on My, glancing at the Moomins.

“What are we going to do..?” He whispered, breath puffing out in small clouds. Moominmamma was quiet, unsure. They had some things, yes, but nothing that could hide Little My very well. She cringed a bit and looked at their captors. Sneak seemed much more occupied with survival while Nels was a different case. Moominmamma didn’t fully understand him, though she knew it was likely just him trying to intimate them. Nels was pulling out guns, making sure they were in working order and looked nice. It made everyone so nervous, it made Mamma want to… do something to make that man learn his lesson. 

Nels soon turned to look at them, though, an eyebrow raised. “Now, now, what’s all of this whispering about?” He asked, running a rag along the barrel of a rifle. A smile played over Nels’ lips as he saw the new addition to his captives. “Now, who is this little lady?” He asked, tucking the rag into his coat pocket. Moomin glared, letting himself growl. My was annoying, yes, but she didn’t deserve getting shot-- or worse even! He tried his best not to visualize his friend abandoned in the cold, falling asleep and never waking up.

“Leave her alone, you bully!” Moomin shouted.

Nels tsked at the boy’s outburst. “Now, now, keep acting out like that and you’re just going to get yourself hurt even more.” He warned, eyes glinting with a sadistic light. “Or even your little friends...” He lifted his rifle up, looking at how the snow reflected in the metal, bright and beautiful. He set it up on his shoulder and began to aim for My and Snufkin, but Moominpappa got in the way of the children, effectively blocking the two from Nels’ view. Nels chuckled, gesturing wildly in mock fury with the rifle. “Come on, I ought to know everybody I’ll be travelling with!”

Sneak looked quite uncomfortable, annoyed even. “Nels, if we’re going to move, we need to do it now. Help me finish checking the supplies.” He grunted, raggedy tail swaying as he shifted things around in the cart. He was looking through preserves and tools, making sure everything was in order. Nels rolled his eyes. 

“Somebody’s gotta keep an eye on these bastards.” He stated, swinging his rifle up over his shoulder. Sneak didn’t deny that, just grunting as he rummaged a bit. After a moment, Sneak seemed thoughtful, looking down at his supplies. He lifted a rolled-up blanket up from the side of the storage, tossing it at the captives.

“Here, I don’t want anyone freezing while we’re on the move.” Sneak grunted, his oddly unreadable face seeming to not match his tone at all. Moominpappa caught the blanket, though he fumbled a tiny bit. The material wasn’t the best-- he could tell just by the touch-- but it was better than nothing. He gave the Sneak a slight nod before he turned to his family and unfolded the blanket, careful not to let it fall into the snow. He then draped it over Snufkin and My quietly. Nels was still watching them, eyes boring into each member of the family as he scanned them. There was silence now-- the clinking of jars and miscellaneous items was the only sound that filled the frigid air.

Moominmamma turned to Snufkin and My after a moment. “My, did you get injured last night..? Do you mind if I take a look?” She asked, voice soft. Little My poked her head out of the blanket, not really wanting to leave the slight warmth that she had, but her feet sure did hurt a lot…

“It’s really cold. Can’t it wait just a bit?” She mumbled, looking like a tired mess. Moominmamma opened her mouth to answer, but Nels’ horrible voice didn’t allow it.

“So the pipsqueak can talk, eh?” He noted. “Looks an awful lot like that Mymble girl from yesterday…” Nels rubbed his stubbled chin, a cocky tone in his voice. Snufkin tensed, feeling Little My grasp at his arms tightly as well.

“Mymble..?” My frowned a bit, thinking for a moment. She jerked upright, glaring out at Nels. “What did you do to my sister, jerk?!” She shouted. Snufkin was pretty glad that he was holding onto her. It seemed like she would run into a fight at any minute. Nels laughed.

“Well, well, I don’t have to tell you, kid…”

“You ought to!” She argued, fists clenched tight. “You hurt her, I just know you did!” Snufkin cringed at her shouting, holding her tight so that she couldn’t wriggle loose.

“She’s alright, Little My. Please calm down.” Snufkin said after a moment, holding her close. Moomin nodded quickly, trying to draw Little My’s eyes off of Nels.

“Yes! She’s with Too-Ticky right now!” Moomin added, trying to reassure her. “She’s okay, Little My, I promise.” Little My slumped back into Snufkin’s arms, sighing.

“If you say so… But still,” She muttered, casting another glare at Nels. “I’ll bite you if it’s the last thing I do.” She hissed at the man. Silence fell once again along with the feeling of immense dread.

The snow kept falling and falling, sticking to fur and hair alike. The Sneak was growing more and more visibly distraught. He knew they couldn’t cross… and it terrified him. He wrung his paws together, closing up their storage and hopping off the wagon.

“Nels, I really don’t think we can get through…” He said slowly. “The wagon isn’t fit for that sort of travel.”

“Does it look like I give a damn? Let’s move out now, then!” Nels ordered, lowering his rifle off his shoulder to gesture for the Moomins to get in the wagon, but the Sneak grabbed onto his other shoulder.

“It’s not safe for any of us! A-and it’s not like you got a kid to get back to! There’s less at risk for you.” Sneak hissed. “Gonna miss her fucking birthday because you wanted to get off on terrorizing a fucking town!” 

“You chose to take this job, Sneak.” Nels noted, voice cold, not even looking at his partner. Sneak groaned and grasped at his fur, pacing in the snow.

“I didn’t think… I just needed the money, man!” The criminal managed. Snufkin looked around warily, taking note to find their best escape route. The argument would make a great distraction. It would be safest to run through trees-- it would make them harder targets to hit-- but Moomin… Snufkin’s eyes landed on Moominpappa, who seemed to be thinking rather hard, quite likely considering the same things. The older creature’s brows were drawn in and he was scanning their surroundings. Their eyes soon met and a silent agreement was made. Snufkin adjusted his hold on Little My awkwardly, pressing her close to his chest. He knew his pounding heart was probably destroying his whole cool facade, but he decided that didn’t matter anymore. His boots hardly even made a noise as he shifted his weight, one hand fumbling for Moomin’s. They had to try something regardless of the risk.

Moominpappa glanced back at Moominmamma, thinking for a moment before leaning in to whisper.

“Run with the children… now while those men are distracted.” He urged, grabbing Mamma’s paw and giving it a tight squeeze. “I’ll catch up if I can.” Moominmamma hesitated but gave him a nod and a kiss as she felt his paw leaving hers. She gave him one last worried look before taking the kids by their hands and leading them back along the trail-- slowly and cautiously at first before they began to run. Sneak was still shouting his frustrations at Nels, luckily, giving them a good head start. 

Sneak got right in Nels’ face, sharp teeth bared. “Well, smartass, it’s my wagon!” He snarled. “If you think you can cross without me, go ahead! No wagon, no supplies!” Sneak shoved Nels’ chest. Moominpappa watched them for a little bit, slowly backing away. Nels took Sneak by the throat, shouting in his face. If there was any good time to start running, it was now. Moominpappa took a deep breath, soon taking off after his family.

Moomin was crying tears of pain as he ran alongside his mother, cursing himself for slowing her down. They'd be running for a while before they'd get to safety and… he didn't think he could make it. Snufkin fought the urge to run as fast as he could to stay beside them. Little My climbed on her brother so that she could see behind them. Moominpappa was coming. ...and Nels had noticed they were fleeing. Little My looked up at Snufkin.

“Get out of the way, he’s gonna try and shoot you!” She urged, voice low. It would be harder to hit the Moomins-- their white fur was hard to separate from the snow in the early morning light. The best shot those guys would have was to hit Snufkin. Snufkin took a few deep breaths, rushing to just move, his boots thumping on the snowy ground. The loose powder puffed up behind him. My held onto him tightly, shoving the blanket off just as the rifle was fired. 

For a moment, Snufkin felt like he knew he was shot. It didn’t hurt… But it was just too lucky for Nels to miss, right? There was far too much peace now. Snufkin glanced at Moominmamma, relieved to find himself keeping pace with her and Moomin still. So maybe Nels missed anyways… They were headed uphill now. Hopefully the reflection of the growing sunlight on the fresh snow would make aiming even more difficult now.

Moomin was grunting in pain, his leg in agony from having to run like this. A sob threatened to tear through his throat. 

“Mamma… Mamma I can’t keep running..!” Moomin gasped, starting to stumble. “It hurts..!” He held her hand tight. Mamma pulled her son closer to her, unwilling to just leave him behind. There was another gunshot, closer now. This time, however, it was followed by a cry. Moominmamma's heart just about stopped, her hand squeezing Moomin's. Moominpappa fell forward into the snow, hand immediately grasping at his shoulder. He cursed, quickly scrambling to stand back up, paws grasping desperately at the snowy earth, leaving deep red marks in the thin snow.

“Get back here you fucking animals!” Nels shouted at the family. After a moment, he was firing off another round that, luckily, missed everyone entirely. Moominpappa tore and tore at the earth around him, struggling to get back to his feet. He could hear hooves pounding the earth, but he couldn't look back, not when the others were still in danger. He was finally getting his footing when the barrel of a rifle hit his head, sending him back down. Sneak's horse trotted around Moominpappa, Nels calling down from its back. "And you stay the fuck down." He ordered before pulling the rifle away and riding off up the hill.

Hope filled Snufkin's chest when he saw figures running their way. He ignored the wind and snow slapping at his face and waved them down. One was unmistakably the inspector… it was finally over. They could hear Mymble shouting something. Little My perked up.

“Mymble!” She exclaimed, waving from where she was tucked under Snufkin’s arm. Suddenly, though, Moomin's bad leg gave out, sending both him and Moominmamma down into the snow. Moomin let out a sharp cry as his hand was torn away from his mother’s. Snufkin turned on his heel, eyes wide as Moomin tumbled back down the hillside. Snufkin’s heart stopped. it wouldn't be long until Nels caught up on that horse. 

Snufkin hurried back to Moominmamma, kneeling beside her. He worked quietly, helping her up and pushing My into her arms. He cringed and pulled away when Nels fired again but he had no clue where he had fired. 

"Snufkin, you don't need to do this." Mooninmamma said softly, pulling My close. Little My nodded, pushing her face out from mamma's fur.

"I came out here to make sure _ everybody  _ got home!" She exclaimed, fists clenched tight. "And that includes you, idiot!" Snufkin shook his head, stepping back towards Moomin.

"Hurry now." He urged, checking Moomin to make sure he was conscious. "You two can help the inspector find us. No one can if we're all caught." Moominmamma hesitated, looking down at her son. Moomin wouldn't be able to keep up like this… and her husband… she couldn't possibly let My cross the mountains like this either. Begrudgingly, she nodded.

"I trust you, Snufkin." She said softly before turning away, her heart breaking further with each step. It was true, she did trust Snufkin. Snufkin was still a child, however. Moominmamma just hoped he could keep her son and husband relatively safe. Little My wriggled with ferocity, but Mamma was quite strong in comparison. She broke into a shaky run, tears welling up in her eyes. Those boys might never return… She didn’t want to think like that but it was impossible not to.

Moomin was still awake, thank the booble. Moomin had pushed himself into a sitting position, unable to stand on his own. Snufkin knelt beside his friend, snow seeping into the knees of his pants. He shivered, trying to help his friend. The shadow of Nels fell over the two; Snufkin looked up quickly, a snarl forming over his lips. The mumrik boy raised his hands, heart pounding as he saw the rifle coming into view.

“D-don’t fire-- we won’t fight you.” Snufkin cringed at the way his voice cracked. He was lying of course… well kind-of. He just needed to wait until he could find the right moment. 


	13. Chapter 13

Moominmamma stared from the top of the hill as her son was forced to march back to the wagon, leaning heavily on Snufkin. A small force of police officers had caught up with Mymble, the inspector, and Too-Ticky and they were all going to Moominmamma’s side. However, Moominmamma’s attention was still stuck on Moominpappa and Moomintroll. When she finally managed to tear her gaze away, she was met with Nels’ eyes looking back up at her-- it made her fur stand on end. She trembled in silence, breath hitching in her throat, but Nels leemed more interested in getting Moomin and Moominpappa out of there before the police got down to them. Moominmamma barely registered any of the noise that rose around her, just feeling a gentle hand on her shoulder.

Mymble’s voice cut through her thoughts. “Moominmamma, let’s get you out of here. The police will take care of things now.” Moominmamma jumped and looked down at the younger woman, surprised.

“Oh! Yes… I suppose so.” She murmured, shifting her hold on Little My. My had given up on fighting, just hugging Moominmamma quietly with her face hidden in the soft fur. Mymble took one of Moominmamma’s paws and led her away from the hill. Her grip tightened slightly when shouting could be heard. They needed to get out before tensions could rise. Mymble couldn’t help but look at Little My, chest heavy. She turned back around, feeling the cold wind against her back. When the gunshots started up again, she pulled Moominmamma into a run. 

They stumbled through snow together, running for shelter. Mymble glanced back at Mamma and Little My, panting. Moominmamma was holding My, thankfully, safe from the snow and wind. Moominmamma looked absolutely heartbroken… She knew My was as well. She hoped Too-Ticky and the police were able to get the boys back soon. The snow was getting heavier by the minute, they didn’t have a lot of time left to spare. Maybe those hunters would get snowed in, even! 

It took a little while, but the blue of Moominhouse peered out from the snowy expanse of hilly landscapes. Mymble slowed, releasing Moominmamma’s hand. Moominmamma stared at the veranda for a moment, stopping at the stairs. She took a moment, blinking away her tears before heading inside to warm Little My by the fire. She set My down carefully. As she rose to get a blanket for My, she remembered.

“Oh, My, didn’t I want to check you for injuries? You hurt your feet last night while you were running, didn’t you?” Moominmamma asked, sitting beside Little My and wrapping the blanket around her. My shrugged, crossing her legs. 

“Yeah… they're all dirty and painful, but it just wasn’t too important earlier.” She mumbled, chewing the inside of her lip. She paused, gears turning in her head. “Still isn’t if you ask me...” she added in a grumble.

“I suppose so, but regardless of whether the police manage to catch those men, I know those boys will get out somehow. The best we can do is make sure we’re in good shape to see them when they return, no matter how long it takes.” Moominmamma consoled, trying to melt her fears with her own motherly warmth. “And if you get an infection, you won’t be able to celebrate their return all too well.” 

“Maybe…” My sighed, pulling the blanket tight around herself. Mymble sat down beside the other girls, placing a hand on Little My’s back.

“Once you’re warmed up, we’ll take care of it, alright?” Mymble smiled at her younger sister, waiting for her to respond. When she got nothing, Mymble stood. “For now, I’ll go and keep an eye out for Too-Ticky.” Moominmamma nodded, humming, but Little My was still quiet. Mymble sighed and fixed her coat before she headed back out to the veranda, leaving Moominmamma and Little My alone. 

After a few moments of silence, Moominmamma slumped, letting out a weak sob. Little My jumped at the sound, turning to look at her. She stared in silence, seeing how her green eyes glowed with tears in the fire’s light. Moominmamma screwed her eyes shut, shoulders shaking as she tried rather unsuccessfully to stifle her cries. There was a very good possibility that her family would never really return. She didn’t want to admit it, but she knew it. Little My leaned against Mooinmamma, putting her arms around her. She didn’t speak. The two simply sat in their shared silence-- their shared grieving.

Little My was carrying a conversation in her head, eyes focused on the grain of the wood floors. She was tossing words back and forth in some imaginary argument about the likelihood of Snufkin returning with the others. Her tiny hands gripped the blanket tight as some righteous fury crossed her face. She spoke aloud softly and surely.

“If anyone can do it, they can.” as the words left her lips, My relaxed, taking a deep breath. Moominmamma looked down at the girl, face softening. The fire crackled on, regardless. Charred logs collapsed in on themselves with an audible crackle, yet Little My didn’t even flinch, as she was dozing there at Mamma’s side. Moominmamma placed her arm around little My and the two fell into a moment of calm. 

Quite a while after Little My had fallen asleep, Mamma was still vigilant. Her head jerked to face the door, ready to see any unwanted visitor that may be there. It was just Mymble, however, waving feebly.

“Hello…” Mymble approached, sighing. “They’re on their way here… but I don’t think they got the boys out of there.” She sat beside Little My. “The police will want to ask you some questions when they get here, if that’s okay with you.” Mymble looked at Moominmamma, running a hand through her own wild hair. Mamma nodded. Releasing the sleeping My as she turned to ask a question. She hadn’t noticed, but she lost her handbag at some point, but that wasn’t too important at that moment… She rubbed her arm, not knowing what to do with her hands as she spoke.

“Of course, of course. Did anyone get hurt..? There were gunshots while we were running.” She asked, ear twitching slightly. 

“I couldn’t tell… They were still too far, but I got too cold to stay out even longer.” Moominmamma nodded, just hoping it wasn’t Moominpappa or one of the children getting shot at. Mymble placed a hand over Moominmama’s, feeling how nervous she was getting. She gave her a reassuring smile. “I’ll take care of My while you talk to the police… Thank you for looking after her.” 

Moominmamma shook her head. “No, no need to thank me. I would have done it regardless of the circumstances.”

“Still.” Mymble said, gently shifting Little My so that Moominmamma could get up. Little My grumbled, looking up. Mymble spoke softly with her sister and Moominmamma headed along to the door to the veranda, watching through the window as Too-Ticky and some officers came up-- empty handed, sadly. Moominmamma opened the door for them, quiet as her brain fought to put together her words. She wanted to say something but had no clue what. Too-Ticky approached Mamma, stopping in front of her. The white light of the sun glistened on the snow that clung Too-Ticky’s hat and hair. With a deep breath, Too-Ticky pulled her hat off.

“I’m sorry we couldn't get them... I’m not sure what all I can do right now, but we’re not gonna give up.” She tried to reassure Moominmamma, hands clenched on her hat.

Moominmamma gave her a weak smile. “No need to apologize, Too-Ticky… Thank you for everything.” Too-Ticky smiled back, shaking some snow from her hat before placing it back on her head. 

“Of course, Moominmamma… Would you mind sitting with the inspector to try and plan out our next move? We could use any information you’ve got.”

“Yes, please come in.” Moominmamma said, stepping back inside. “Here, I’ll put on some tea, you all must be freezing.” Mymble glanced over her shoulder, watching everyone head inside and to the dining table. Moominmamma had known that it was unlikely, but her shoulders still sagged just a little more than they had been earlier. Mymble sighed and stood to gather the first aid kit for Little My. She didn’t want to just sit around and listen to this-- she had to occupy herself somehow. 

Too-Ticky, the inspector, and a few officers sat at the table while Moominmamma put some water on to boil. Soon enough, she had joined them, sitting in a chair that seemed far to creaky in the dead silence of the room. Moominmamma placed her hands folded in her lap, looking to the inspector. For a moment, the only sound that could be heard was Little My complaining in the other room and the beating of the wind against Moominhouse. The inspector took a moment to formulate his sentence before nodding and looking up.

“Right,” he began. “Winter has come in full swing now, so our travel is very limited. They’re already risking it by going into the mountains like this…”

“Not to mention that, with the seas freezing, we won’t be able to pursue them by boat.” Too-Ticky added, looking at the inspector. “Although, I think we can send a small team out to cross the mountains once the snow has settled. They won’t be able to travel too quickly right now anyway, so we may be able to catch up to them and pull a surprise attack. Plus, if the wagon gets stuck… It’s best to have some people looking just in case.” She offered, gesturing with her hands. She looked fairly determined about that option. “I would be more than willing to go.”

The inspector hummed thoughtfully, leaning back. “Yes, that would be a good course of action… If only we knew where they were going.” Moominmamma slumped in her seat, face scrunching up in thought. She could have sworn she heard something… She might not have been actively listening then, but it was somewhere!

“I think that I heard Moominpappa talking about it with that Sneak. Gosh, I just need to remember!”

“Take your time, Moominmamma.” The inspector reassured. “I’m sure there’s a lot on your mind right now.”

“Yea, we can discuss the other things until then.” Too-Ticky agreed, giving Moominmamma a weak smile. Moominmamma tried to smile back, but she was stuck processing all of the thoughts and emotions that plagued her. She stood quietly to go take care of the tea, trying to think. Everything that had just happened was coming back hard and fast yet again. 

Moominpappa was shot. That was the most painful thing that she remembered. Her hands began to tremble as she stood before the kettle. She  _ saw _ the blood. A choked sob bubbled up in her throat. Now both of her boys were in so much pain and she could do nothing! Worst of all, she left them. She left them in the cold and snow. Moominmamma grabbed the counter with one paw, gripping it tightly. She could have fought back-- she should have! Instead she let those damned men with their damned guns stop her. 

Moominmamma fell to her knees, letting herself cry. Now everything is left up to Snufkin-- a CHILD. Of course, the police were involved, but she should have stayed with her family. Everyone else in earshot had gone quiet, leaving just Moominmamma’s cries. She hadn’t noticed, however, until a shadow filled the doorway. 

“I’m sorry, I- I didn’t mean to… well…” Moominmamma stood up quickly, wiping at her eyes. She braced herself on the counter. She shakily went about preparing the tea. Too-Ticky crossed the kitchen, going to the older woman, placing a hand on her back.

“You’ve been through a lot, it’s okay to be overwhelmed.” Too-Ticky said softly. “Here, I’ll help you.” She lifted the kettle of hot water from her trembling hands. The two women worked in a minute of silence. Too-Ticky looked at Moominmamma from the corner of her eyes, pouring the tea. “You don’t have to talk about it until you’re ready to.” She said soothingly, holding out a cup of tea to her. Moominmamma took it, thanking her quietly. They fell back into silence as Moominmamma took a drink, hoping to soothe her nerves, ears low. Too-Ticky collected a tray of the rest of the cups and headed out to the other folks in the dining room. Moominmamma slumped against the counter, sighing. She had to figure something out… somehow. She had to remember.


	14. Chapter 14

As soon as Snufkin and Moomintroll got to the wagon, they were moving. Moomin shuffled over to his father, Snufkin close behind. Blood was quickly oozing out of the gunshot wound in Moominpappa’s arm. With his free hand, he was gripping the wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding. Without thinking, Snufkin quickly pulled his smock over his head. Moominpappa shook his head.

“No, no, you need that. We’ll figure something out first…” He said softly, voice strained. “You’ll freeze, Snufkin.” He let out a hiss of pain. Moomin flinched, holding tight to his father’s hand. Nels wasn’t moving to do anything, just watching them like the cruel bastard he was. Moominpappa cast a weak glare at the man. Snufkin braced himself against the cold, the worn fabric of his smock clutched between his fingers.

“If they’re not going to help you, we need to do something, Moominpappa.” Snufkin pressed, looking at the aging moomin’s face. He looked as though he was about to argue, but the wagon hit a fairly nasty bump, jostling its passengers about. Moominpappa hissed as his arm made contact with the side of the wagon. Moomintroll looked over at Snufkin, eyes searching his friend’s reddened face. Snufkin already looked like he would freeze. 

“Are you sure, Snufkin? Isn’t there anything else we can do?” Moomin asked. Before anything could be said, Nels was firing back at their pursuers. The boys ducked instinctively, Moomin hugging onto his father, a shiver of fear running through him. When it became clear that the gun wasn’t aimed at them, they tried to relax and focus. Moomin released Moominpappa, apologizing quietly. Snufkin shook the snow off himself, taking a sharp breath at the bitter cold that stuck to his skin.

Snufkin sat up slowly (hardly wanting to move at all in that moment) before tearing his smock. His chest felt tight. That was the last thing he had, wasn’t it? He shuffled over to Moominpappa and started to wrap up his arm tightly. Snufkin had quite literally given up everything since this whole mess began. After this, there would be but one thing left... He clenched his teeth and wrapped his smock around Moominpappa’s arm a few more times before knotting it well. Once he was done, Snufkin let himself slump and give into the shivers that soon wracked his body.

Moomin had barely even blinked before pulling Snufkin close and glancing back, seeing what could very well be their last hope growing more and more distant. Too-Ticky was barely even a red blur now-- of course, the snow growing stronger didn’t help at all. Moomin squeezed Snufkin gently, glancing up at Moominpappa, who seemed preoccupied in his own thoughts. Moomin bit down his own questions, instead turning to watch the snow as is glowed in the waning sunlight. They had just a little before… But now it looked like a blizzard was setting in. That was no good for anybody. 

Nels lowered his gun once their pursuers were long out of view. He groaned in annoyance, tutting at the two moomins that remained. He glanced over his shoulder at Sneak.

“That other kid’s gonna be dead weight. I say we toss him off and leave him. We don’t--” Nels spoke, his annoyed tone steeped with anger. Moomin’s head jerked, whipping to face Nels.

“No! You can’t do that to him!” Moomin blurted, fur puffing up furiously. Moominpappa placed a hand on Moomin’s shoulder, casting a nasty look at Nels.

“Moomin is right,” He began. “Snufkin is a part of our family, too-- like a son even! I won’t let you just… Toss him out like garbage.” Moominpappa said firmly. Nels chuckled, settling his gun between his knees, crossing his arms.

“Now then! How about this. You and your son cooperate with us and we won’t shoot down your little tramp and leave him to freeze.” He looked between Moomin and Moominpappa, a cocky smile stuck lopsided on his face. His face was flushed from the cold, but he was lucky enough to have a thick coat. Moomin looked away and just held his friend close. The closeness was strange, especially with Snufkin. They’d been close a lot lately, of course they had been-- it had been very cold lately-- but now it was more life-or-death than ever. Moominpappa placed his good arm around his son. Nels accepted their silence as an agreement and turned to Sneak again.

Moomin was quiet, just passively listening to Sneak and Nels talk about plans, his head resting on Snufkin’s. Snufkin didn’t even bother trying to get out of his arms at all, just sitting comfortably in his friend’s warmth. Sure, he felt too enclosed for far too long, but it was better than freezing his tail off. Moomin was handling him like glass, careful not to hold him too tightly. Both of the boys would be lying if they said they didn’t find comfort in this unusual embrace, so they just accepted each other's company.

Sneak eventually raised his voice, glancing at Nels. “We’ll need to stop soon.” He grunted. “It’s going to be a blizzard. We have to find someplace we can wait it out.” 

Nels scoffed. “Yeah? You know any place we can stop?” Nels raised an eyebrow, leaning back against the side of the wagon. “I sure as hell don’t.”

“No… just TRY looking, please.” Sneak glanced back at Nels. “If we keep moving like this, next thing you know, we’ll  _ all _ be freezing to death!” Nels scoffed but didn’t say anything. Snufkin shifted a bit, trying to sit up so he could look around. Moomin helped him.

“What is it, Snufkin?” Moomin asked, ears low.

“I know of some caves… if I could find out where we are.” Snufkin noted, searching the snowy landscape around them.

“I can help!” Moomin offered. “I don’t know what you’re looking for, but once I do, I can help!” Snufkin was quiet for a moment, his brain processing what the world around them would have looked like before now… Moomin began to deflate. The poor troll couldn’t help but think he wasn’t doing enough. Snufkin had done a lot for his family and all Moomin could do in response was hug him. And what good was that? Hugs couldn’t fix this... Snufkin hummed and leaned back against his friend.

“There should be a cave near here. Look for a fallen tree over two boulders. There’s a cave just past that.” Snufkin explained, curling away from the cold. Moomin nodded quietly and began to look around for anything that could be the landmark described. Nels let out a dry laugh.

“At least he’s useful, eh?” He asked Sneak who didn’t answer. Nels rolled his eyes. “You sure have gotten softer since we first got here, bud. Funny. I thought you had potential.” Still, Nels got nothing out of his partner. Moominpappa resigned to searching the scenery as well. Visibility was getting worse and worse… They had to find that cave fast.

Somewhere in the darkening swirl of snow, Moominpappa could see a shape that just vaguely looked like what Snufkin had described. 

“There-- that might be it.” Pappa called to Sneak, pointing at the archway. Sneak didn’t need to be told twice at all. He guided his horse towards the shape. As they got closer, the archway became more clear. While the snow obscured most identifying features, Moominpappa could definitely make out bark on the underside of the structure. He let out a sigh of relief, looking over at his son who seemed quite relieved as well. The ground leading up to the cave was rough, so it wasn’t the best on the wagon’s wheels, but they managed to get up to the mouth. Luckily, it was big enough to get the wagon inside. Sneak hopped into the back of the wagon, pulling out a horse blanket and helping his horse settle down. Nels sighed and got on to getting a fire started, though they weren’t necessarily well-stocked on kindling. Moomin glanced between the criminals, unsure of what he was supposed to do. 

Moominpappa brushed the snow off of Moomintroll quietly. He had no clue what they were to do either… The best he could do was take care of what remained of his family. He checked over the boys, eyes quickly landing on how swollen Moomin’s ankle looked. Blood had begun to show through the bandages again. “Er…” He looked over at Sneak, who was digging through their storage again. “We’ll need bandages here, pretty soon.”

Sneak hummed. “Yes, I can take care of that… and uh…” He found whatever he was looking for. In his hands, the Sneak held two jackets. Neither looked extremely warm-- though the Sneak had fur, so he didn’t need the fullest coat. He turned to Moominpappa, tossing one of the garments over. “Here-- for the boy.” Moominpappa caught it but offered no gratitude. Moomin, however, leapt upon the opportunity. 

“Th-thank you!” Moomin perked up from where he sat at his father’s side. Sneak quickly turned the other way, uncomfortable. 

“Yeah, yeah…” He muttered before gathering up what appeared to be some food for a light meal. “Nels, how’s the fire?” Nels didn’t respond, too focused. The wind that rushed in through the cave’s mouth was making it quite difficult to start the fire. Nels must have moved several times before he found the best spot for it.

“As good as it’ll ever be... won’t last long, so if you’re gonna cook, do it now.” Sneak nodded and hopped off the wagon, plopping down beside Nels.

Moomintroll practically had to pry Snufkin off to get the jacket on him. It really worried him to see Snufkin like that… but once his friend was warmed up, they could scheme up some way to get out of there. He knew that they would. 

“Come on, Snufkin! You’ll get sick!” Moomin pushed, seeing Snufkin trying to shake the cold and tiredness away. Moominpappa handed Snufkin the jacket. Snufkin took it, of course, but was unable to stifle a chuckle that arose from his chest. Moomin blinked. “What?”

Snufkin shook his head as he pulled the jacket on. “Nothing, nothing… You’re just sounding like Moominmamma.” Moomin chuckled but it was such a small sound, it was practically swallowed up by the cavern’s whistling. His laugh grew stronger, however, when they got that coat on Snufkin. Moomin giggled at how Snufkin was absolutely engulfed by the jacket. The mumrik boy raised an eyebrow at Moomin, but he, too, fell into laughter once they made eye contact. Moominpappa shook his head, a tired smile playing at his lips. He was glad the boys could still find something to keep their spirits up. Even if it felt forced or out of place, they needed something. Something to keep them from giving up...

Sneak glanced over at the family, that uncomfortable look still stuck on his face. “Well uh… you three can either stay up there or sit on the ground, too. Not like you can go anywhere...” He turned back to the meal he was preparing, ears pinned back. Moominpappa was suspicious of the behavior. He never really expected any sort of kidnapper to be this… awkward. Sure, there was the incident at the zoo, but that was an absolutely different scenario. Pappa hummed and reached up instinctively, only to find his hat gone. Right… His brain was a jumble. He rubbed his face, groaning. At least he knew Mamma was alright.

Silence fell pretty quickly. Nels and Sneak ate first, then whatever was left was given to the others. Moominpappa did his best to divide the cooled food into thirds. It wasn’t too difficult, at least, but it wasn’t filling either. He wished he could just do better for the boys. Pappa, himself, wasn’t a stranger to skipping meals in his youth, Snufkin likely wasn’t as well, but that didn’t change the feeling in his chest. Being a parent was about letting your child lead a better life than you did and Moominpappa wanted Moomintroll to lead a happy and healthy life. The fear that Moomin may die so young hurt like an arrow in his chest. 

The three ate quietly, only hearing Nels and Sneak chatting. It was mostly Nels talking at Sneak, though. Moominpappa gave up on trying to listen. Whatever was being said would be no help. He just kept the boys close in the cold of the blizzard. They may be stuck in the cave for a while… 


	15. Chapter 15

The blizzard was well underway in Moominvalley, trapping all of its inhabitants indoors. Many were left simply twiddling their thumbs, unable to do anything despite the dire circumstances. With Little My having run off earlier, Sniff was probably working himself up into a panic at this point, but there was nothing he could do besides worry and think. There was nothing  _ anyone _ in the valley could do, it seemed.

However, Too-Ticky and the inspector were still busy planning their pursuit of the hunters. Too-Ticky, of course, had to help the inspector with details a lot, but the plan was coming together fairly well, but they had a few major issues. Maps from the study were laid about the dining table with notebooks and pens-- all for trying to find out where that wagon was going. There were far too many possibilities, though.

Mymble was seated beside the inspector, of course, her hand resting on his arm. She had managed to get My to rest but not without a fight. She knew everyone appreciated Little My wanting to help but the girl could get sick if she didn’t rest… The whole ordeal exhausted Mymble, honestly, but she had to get over it. Even now, she was faced with the stress of another disagreement, this time over what to do about Moominmamma. Luckily, Mamma was out of earshot. Mymble would hate to make her feel bad about all of this.

“I know that it’s very important that she remembers, but I don’t think… Well, we mustn’t push her too hard.” Mymble insisted, watching the police inspectors’ face. Her features were soft, laced with concern. “Sure, she might need a  _ bit _ of a push to jog her memory, but we should try gentle nudges for now, right?” Mymble squeezed the inspector’s arm gently. “It’s a very upsetting time and we don’t want to make her feel worse.” The inspector’s face scrunched up as he considered it. He leaned back and adjusted his hat.

“Well… I don’t know.” He sighed, looking back at Mymble. “I know you mean well, but I think those boys are in trouble if we don’t hurry.” The inspector tried, gesturing loosely with a hand. 

“Yes, but she may have never really heard the name for all we know.” Mymble said, voice raising a hair. “Then we would have been hard on her for no real reason.” Too-Ticky watched the two, not bothering to interrupt. The couple that sat across from her were engrossed in discussing the possible outcomes. What she found interesting was how neither thought to sit and discuss things with Moominmamma at all. Mymble released the inspector’s arm and looked at the map, resting her head in her hands.

“Either way, they’ll start moving once the storm is over, so we should too, if we want to catch up.” The inspector stressed. Too-Ticky sighed. All three of them were completely worn out by the whole ordeal, but things had to get done… She ran a hand over her face, thinking. She had an idea, though she didn’t know if it would work. Anything was worth a shot though, she supposed. Too-Ticky stood up, glancing at the others seated at the table.

“I’ll be right back.” She declared, pushing in her chair. Mymble and the inspector both nodded, Mymble turning to look up at Too-Ticky.

“Of course, I’m sorry we kept on talking. If you have any ideas, just interrupt us. I won’t mind at all!” Too-Ticky nodded and headed to the stairs without another word. First she had to talk to Moominmamma and Too-Ticky had a feeling she knew where she was at the moment… Mamma had been trying to take some time for herself and her thoughts. Moominpappa’s study was the perfect place to retreat to. Too-Ticky headed up the stairs, vaguely listening to the conversation restarting downstairs as she did so. 

She reached the landing and silence returned. The door to Moominpappa’s study was ajar and the sound of shifting paper could be heard. Beyond that, however, the barely audible sound of sniffling could be heard. Too-Ticky swallowed dryly, her mouth forming a thin line. She came up to the doorway and knocked gently on the frame.

“Hello? How are you doing in there?” She asked, turning to stand with her back to the wall. “I wanted to see if you could do something for me real quick.”

“You can come in.” Moominmamma called from inside. “I just need to put away some papers, then I can help you with whatever you need.” Too-Ticky pushed the door open slowly and stepped inside. Moominmamma was in her husband’s chair, putting together some papers before setting them inside Pappa’s desk. They could see how the snow outside buffeted down upon the horizon through the windows. The light the swirl of clouds let in was not much at all, casting a somber mood upon the two women. If not for the circumstances, Too-Ticky would love to watch the snow fall. She relented to watching Moominmamma patiently. Moominmamma stared at the papers for a moment before shutting the drawer and standing so she could face Too-Ticky. Her eyes were a bit damp and reddened, likely from crying. Moominmamma, regardless smiled and asked what Too-Ticky needed help with. 

Too-Ticky remained by the door, leaning back on her heels as she spoke. “I was wondering if you’d be willing to come downstairs and take a look at the maps with me. Perhaps seeing the names of places outside the valley would help you remember… I know how fickle memories can be sometimes.”

“That’s a great idea, Too-Ticky. Of course I would be willing to.” Moominmamma crossed the room to Too-Ticky. It was better to be doing something that could actually help her family, not just to look over Pappa’s old love writings and cry. Too-Ticky offered her arm to Moominmamma, hoping to provide some semblance of comfort without seeming patronizing.

“How are you feeling right now?” She asked.

Moominmamma took Too-Ticky’s arm, just relieved at having human contact. “Well… It’s been a relief to be able to be alone for a little while and… well, let my feelings out.” She breathed, allowing Too-Ticky to lead her downstairs. Mymble and the inspector had given up on bickering and, instead, were going over some things they had jotted down earlier. They hardly noticed the women entering until they just about reached the table. Just when the inspector was about to speak, Mymble was quick to read the situation and hush him. 

Moominmamma’s eyes drifted over the maps, examining the print that dotted the page. She thought for a good moment. She let her paw touch the aged paper, her brows knitting together in thought. All eyes were on her and the pressure felt very real now. She lifted her paw off the table, holding it close to her as if she were deep in thought, but it was truly just to hide the slight tremble that ran through her. As she forced her brain to work, a word popped into her mind suddenly.

“I definitely think the name ended in ‘-wood’.” Moominmamma said after a moment. Too-Ticky looked over the maps, putting her hands in her pockets. That didn’t really narrow things down really well, but it was a start. There were only two charted towns with wood in the name near Moominvalley-- Adawood and Fernwood. Even then, they were a few days’ walk away. She reached out and pointed to each of the names.

“Was it either of these?” She asked, glancing at Moominmamma. It was wishful thinking to hope that the wagon was headed to someplace nearby but they were travelling by wagon. They were close enough to not have to come to the valley by boat… After a moment, Moominmamma nodded, sounding quite sure of herself when she spoke.

“Adawood. I believe it was Adawood.” She pointed at the location. Too-Ticky looked to the inspector who was adding that to the notes. He looked over all the notes, tapping his chin with the pen.

“Well, I do think we’ll be able to get started once the storm lets up.” He stated, standing up. “Too-Ticky, would you mind helping me with the plans again? Now that we know where to go and all…” 

“Of course, inspector.” Too-Ticky leaned against the table. “However, I think everyone else can get some rest.” She glanced at Mymble-- whose bruises were really showing now-- and Moominmamma. Both of them deserved a good rest. Mymble stood, grunting as her body ached. 

The inspector nodded, smiling. “I agree. Rest well, you two. You’ve both worked very hard.” Mymble shot a smile back.

“Thank you both.” Mymble said, biting back a yawn. She really hadn’t noticed how tired she was until just recently… She gave the inspector and Moominmamma a hug before heading upstairs, not noticing Too-Ticky watching with a slight bit of worry in her eyes. Moominmamma took a moment to thank both Too-Ticky and the inspector for everything they were doing for her family before heading upstairs herself. As she stepped further and further from the eyes of the others, her ears began to sag ever so slightly. 

Moominmamma shuffled to her and pappa’s room, opening the door. Rage and grief swirled in her chest. Her boys were gone. There was no relief in her heart-- she was terrified of what those criminals were capable of. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She had to look for them herself. She failed them by running, so she had to save them now. Moominmamma knew no one would want her going out with the search parties, but it was something she  _ had _ to do. She couldn’t let guilt weigh her down. 

Moominmamma headed past the beds to the window, gazing out at the dark, swirling storm. She knew her boys would be alright-- they were plenty capable… so long as they got past their own flaws. Mamma sighed, resting her forehead against the cold window. She let the cold seep through her fur for a moment, eyes shut. Regardless of what happened, she would rather die with her family than be alone, surrounded by their memory. Surrounded by her guilt. Surrounded by fear and shame and every other terrible thing that would haunt her and the rest of the valley.

Oh, she knew it was selfish, but she just couldn’t handle that. She knew how much it pained everyone to see her so unlike herself. She stepped back from the window, a paw gripping the sill tight. Her mind was as confused as that storm… thoughts blowing each and every way. She really needed rest. A break from her thoughts would do her good.

Moominmamma untied her apron, sighing as everything about her just felt heavy. She shook the fabric out before putting it away. The storm was growing darker, but luckily her eyes were adjusting fairly well. She looked over at Pappa’s bed for a moment, mind blanking almost entirely. Tears welled up in her eyes again but she shut them tight, trying to will them away.

Moominmamma sat on her bed, taking deep breaths to keep herself from cracking under the weight of her own emotions. She stared at the door, just to keep herself from looking at the empty bed-- and to keep her mind from wandering to the blood, stark against the pure white around it. She settled underneath her covers soon enough, but her eyes were unwilling to stay closed. She ran her hands over her face, groaning.

Moominmamma rolled onto her back, glancing over at Moominpappa’s bed. The silence around her was so thick, she could almost hear her own heartbeat. She hoped her family was doing alright and got out of the storm before it was too late...


	16. Chapter 16

Moominpappa woke with a cry as his injured arm was kicked rather hard. He jerked away, curling up to protect his arm, letting out a hiss of pain. Pain surged through him, aching all the way through his bones. He wheezed, grasping his arm tight. Moomin jerked upright, shouting ‘Pappa’, surprise and worry in his voice. Moominpappa groaned, glancing over at Moomintroll, hands trembling. Nels was standing between Moominpappa and the children, but that didn’t stop Moomin from hurriedly crawling over to his father. 

“Pappa-- Pappa are you okay?” He asked, holding Pappa’s good arm, trying to see him. Snufkin forced himself up, brushing past Nels to get over to the two. He knelt down beside the two Moomins.

“What happened?” Snufkin asked, gently moving Moomin’s paws off Moominpappa.

Nels cleared his throat from behind them. “Get up, freaks.” He snapped. “I have a job for you.” Moomin soon turned his eyes to Nels, hardly trying to hide the fear that laced his features. He opened his mouth to yell at the man, but Nels gestured to the cave’s mouth. A snow drift had settled there, definitely an inconvenience… “I want you three to clear out some of that snow so we can get the hell outta here.” Nels grunted, nudging Moomin with a boot. “Now. Move.”

“W-wait, we can’t!” Moomin stammered, ears low. “You shot us! We can’t--” Nels smacked the young troll across the snout, causing Moomin to draw back, rubbing his nose. “Ow! I-I mean it..!” Snufkin got in front of Moomin wordlessly, an arm stretching out to protect him. Moominpappa sat up, taking deep breaths.

“Leave my son alone.” Moominpappa hissed furiously, still holding his throbbing arm. Moomin turned over his shoulder, a wordless whimper playing at his lips. Pappa grunted through his aching heart, placing his good hand on Moomin’s shoulder. “You will  _ never _ touch him again, you hear me?”

“Then get to work.” Nels barked, raising his hand as if to threaten them. Moomin flinched, leaning back into Moominpappa, but nothing happened. Nels chuckled, ruffling Snufkin’s hair, earning an angry hiss. Snufkin sure did not like that… Nels slid off the side of the wagon, his thick boots creating an echoing thump through the cave. Nels adjusted his coat and started heading back over to Sneak. Nels clapped his partner on the back, giving him a smirk. “See? Problem solved!” Sneak shook his head, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

“The problem is  _ not  _ solved. Nels, those three can’t get work done fast enough! If you haven’t noticed, they’re still injured. We’re better off taking care of it ourselves.” Sneak huffed, glaring up at Nels and gesturing widely to the cart. He shook his fur and headed over to the snowdrift. “‘Sides, not like we have to clear out all the snow, we just gotta make it so that the wagon has better clearance! So please, let’s just get to work and get it over with.” Nels rolled his eyes and looked back at the captives.

“You, mumrik, help Sneak.” He ordered. “Everything’s in working order for you, right?” Nels raised an eyebrow. Snufkin sighed and pushed himself up, tugging the jacket tighter around himself. Not like he had any option to say no. Moomin hesitated, sitting up straight.

“Snuf…” He began, reaching out slightly for Snufkin’s hand before sighing and resigning to just making sure that his pappa was okay. Snufkin hadn’t even registered Moomin’s actions, just hopping out of the wagon and going to help Sneak.

Snufkin couldn’t help but ponder questions he had for the creature, sparing a few glances at him as he drew close to the snow drift. The morning’s light was fighting with the cloud cover outside, but it was something-- better than the pitch black of night. Snufkin’s fingers were already at the point of being so cold that they felt like they were burning so he wasn’t exactly looking forward to shoving them into the snow. He had to regardless. He or one of the Moomins would get hurt otherwise. Carefully, Snufkin started scooping snow with his arms and shoving it aside. Sneak was working much quicker, pawing and digging at the snow animalistically, ears low. Snufkin gulped down whatever anxieties he had and focused on moving snow, himself.

“Why are you acting so different now? When I first saw you, you were  _ laughing _ at the idea of hurting us.” Snufkin eventually asked, glaring ahead at the snow. Sneak jumped in surprise, fur puffing up a bit. He wasn’t expecting the kid to talk to him at all.

“Oh… well uh…” Sneak looked at the kid. Snufkin still had yet to bother looking at him, focusing on his task so that he wouldn’t let his fear show-- especially under One wrong move and literally everything could be over… and Moomintroll still needed him. Sneak took a deep breath and turned back to the snow. “Adrenaline mostly. Nels is a terrible influence; luckily it wore off fast.” Sneak said, voice low. “I should have never taken this job. I ain’t the kind to hurt people.” 

Snufkin finally turned to Sneak fully. “Then why are you doing it?” He asked. “Why can’t you just help us escape?” Snufkin pulled his cold paws close to his chest. He could hardly even feel them! The ache in his hands wasn’t nearly as painful as all the emotions he tried so desperately tried to push away. “My friends will  _ die _ if we don’t get away…” Snufkin added after a pause, muttering with extreme malice in his voice.

“Nels will kill any of us if he has to.” Sneak stated bluntly. “I can’t risk it.” Snufkin didn’t respond, bringing his hands up to his face so he could try and warm them up. If only he had gloves or something. He squeezed his fingers tight, just trying to feel something. It was no good if he couldn’t use them. He flexed his fingers tentatively before reaching to scoop some more snow up, but Sneak stopped him. “Go sit down, kid. There’s no point in helping if you’re going to get frostbit doing it.” Sneak nudged him not too roughly back to the wagon. Snufkin didn’t argue, yet he could feel Nels cold stare on him as he made his way back to where his friends were but, thankfully, he didn’t do anything… Moomin was watching him, propping himself up on the wagon’s edge.

He pulled himself up into the wagon, the numbness in his fingers making it far more uncomfortable than it had to be. He was glad he had the jacket now-- he would’ve been numb all over. Snufkin barely even had a moment to process things before Moomin grabbed his hands and pulled him over. Moominpappa was sitting up now, tail swishing in agitation.

“I told that bully that we couldn’t do it…” Moomin muttered. “Your hands are freezing!” 

Snufkin shook his head. “I’m alright, Moomin, I swear.” He tried to reassure-- almost succeeding-- but he could tell Moominpappa saw right through him. Snufkin squeezed Moomin’s paws. The warmth they gave off wasn’t as strong as it would have been usually, but it was relieving nonetheless. Snufkin let himself slump a little. Moominpappa shifted, moving to get a better look at Snufkin, looking him over as if one of their captors could have done anything while he was distracted. “I said that I’m alright.” He stressed. Moominpappa still looked a bit wary.

"What were you and that Sneak talking about, Snufkin?" Moominpappa asked. "He wasn't threatening you, wasn't he?"

"No, no! I just asked him why he was letting this all happen." Snufkin explained softly, shutting his eyes. He absentmindedly ran his still-numb thumbs along the short fur on Moomin's knuckles. It was a comforting texture… It really helped. Moomin ignored the fluttery feeling he got from that, instead focusing on Snufkin’s words.

"And what did he say?" Moomin asked, ears perked curiously. He leaned in towards Snufkin.

"Well I know he doesn't want to do this, so… maybe if we can talk to him more, we might be able to convince him to help us get out of this mess." Snufkin said, making sure his voice was a whisper. He opened one of his eyes, glancing at Nels just in case. Luckily, the man was distracted... Moominpappa mulled the idea over for a moment before nodding.

"That certainly seems plausible. That fellow sure has been acting odd for someone paid to… well, you know." Pappa didn’t want to finish that statement. He instead looked away. The thought of the boys dying like this was still far too painful to manage.

Moomin brushed past the dark implications of his father’s words and smiled at his friend-- it was a bright, genuine smile. "I knew it wasn't over yet. I knew it..!" He leaned closer, their foreheads almost touching. Snufkin opened both eyes now, smiling as well.

"I'd never let it end like this." He spoke softly, trying to be reassuring. He released Moomin's paws, struggling with the thought of patting Moomin’s cheek or shoulder before he settled on leaning back on his elbows. Snufkin allowed himself to fall back into his thoughts, tucking his hands close to himself to keep them warm. "Now we need to think of what we can use to convince him now.” He paused. “He's scared of Nels."

"And rightfully so." Moominpappa grumbled, rubbing his arm. “... The bastard.” He muttered. Neither of the children argued with that… Neither could think of a word that fit as well. Moomin deflated glumly, looking at his swollen ankle. Snufkin hummed thoughtfully.

“When we tried to run yesterday, didn’t the Sneak say something about a kid? It’s a low blow, but we don’t know much about him at all and we need what we can get.” Snufkin noted, looking at Moominpappa. “I hadn’t paid too much attention then..” Moominpappa shook his head.

“Me neither-- I was more focused on letting everyone get away.” He slumped, the paw on his good arm going up to his muzzle, tapping his chin thoughtfully. Moomin looked over at Sneak, thinking quietly. They didn’t really have to know anything to get on Sneak’s good side, he supposed. Moomin’s face scrunched up as he thought. The snow was already a good deal taken care of… then they’d be moving again. The young troll shivered and turned to his pappa and Snufkin. 

“Well, maybe if we just try and be nice to him he’d warm up on his own?” Moomin offered. “It’ll just be easier that way… at least I think.”

“That’s certainly an option.” Moominpappa said. “It may be easier for you, than either of us, though.” He admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. Snufkin nodded.

“You’re remarkably kind, Moomin. If anyone can get through to him, it would be you.” He elaborated, offering Moomin his hand again. Moomin took it, the tips of his ears flushing slightly. 

Sneak called out from the snowdrift. “Alright then, we’re all set to move!” The trio’s heads turned to look, seeing Nels and Sneak coming back up to the wagon. There goes any discussion related to escape… Moomin inched closer to Snufkin and Moominpappa, still grasping Snufkin’s hand. Pappa elected to pull both of the boys into a side hug, easily sandwiching Snufkin between the two moomins. Snufkin wanted to hate it but… he liked how warm it was.

Nels hopped up and sat across from them, eyeing them suspiciously before nodding to Sneak. Snufkin cast a glare out at Nels. It was no surprise when Snufkin caught a glare back… The remains of the snowdrift tried their best to keep the wagon from exiting the cave’s mighty maw, but the horse was strong enough to pull through. 

Snow drifted down onto the travelers, thankfully much calmer than it had that last night. Snufkin got comfortable at Moomin and Moominpappa’s side, cherishing their warmth as they pushed along their journey south. Snufkin hardly even noticed when his head rested against Moomin’s, for he was far too focused on studying the mountain pass. He wanted to know where they were and how long until things were warmer. He didn’t want to let them stray too far from the valley, but he didn’t know how long they could stand the cold and snow...


	17. Chapter 17

Moominmamma didn’t exactly know when she fell asleep, but when she woke up, she felt like she was lost. It was a hard feeling to describe in one word, she supposed. She felt as though she were numb, in between dreams. She KNEW all of this was real but she just sort of felt like a spectator. She took a deep breath, rolling over in her bed. She just needed a moment to wake up-- that’s what it was.

Mamma took a moment to lie in her bed, just being mindful of herself. She stared at the ceiling, processing her surroundings and thoughts, but it didn’t take long for her body to ache for her to get up. She pushed herself up regardless of how numb she felt and swung her legs over the side of her bed, letting out a soft grunt. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and glanced behind her. Without Moominpappa, her morning already felt very empty… She rose and went about the mundane tasks of making her bed and putting on her apron before she decided to chance a look outside. She stepped past her husband’s bed, a shuddering chill running up along her spine. 

The snow was still falling, but it wasn’t a strong blizzard anymore, thank goodness. Moominmamma almost turned away, but her heart told her to look closer. The stream had frozen and was practically covered with snowdrifts. The sky was still rather dark, but she could see that well enough. The snowy expanse was undisturbed-- not a single footprint to be seen. No matter how much she looked, it was highly unlikely that the boys would have gotten away… with Moominpappa and Moomin both injured. She ran a hand over her face in silence. She tore herself away from the window and headed to the door. She should get started on breakfast… 

As she opened the door, she saw Mymble with Little My, headed downstairs. Mymble stopped, turning on her heels to face Mamma. The pair of siblings were muttering between themselves, Little My looking quite upset still. Mymble was still a bit beaten up… those cursed criminals. 

“Morning, Moominmamma.” Mymble greeted, smiling slightly. “Too-Ticky will probably head out after breakfast. Oh-- speaking of, would you like some help with making breakfast?” Mymble asked trying to flip a stray strand of hair from her face 

Moominmamma, of course, smiled back in a fond way. “Well, I think that would be splendid!” She said to Mymble before turning to Little My, who hung like a grumpy cat from Mymble’s arms. “How are you feeling this morning, Little My? I was worried you’d get sick after sitting out in the cold like that…” She asked, head cocking to the side. My huffed, kicking her feet a bit as they hung in the air. The girl’s face was some sort of annoyed pout-- regardless of My’s age, she always looked so much younger. It was painful for the grieving mother. Little My shrugged.

“Get sick from a little cold? Sure. I’m feeling fine.” She declared. Moominmamma sighed-- My must’ve felt terrible about her family... not that she would blame her. 

“I’m glad, dear.” Mamma hummed regardless of how she felt about it, stepping towards the stairs. “What would you like for breakfast?” She asked as Mymble followed her downstairs. My simply shrugged.

“I dunno. I dunno if I’m even hungry.” She muttered, leaning back against her older sister. Mymble took a deep breath, adjusting her grip on My so she wouldn’t just be hanging from her arms.

“Look, Little My,” She began, trying to sound as authoritative as she possibly could. “I know things are looking really bad right now, but you need to take care of yourself. With everyone helping look for the wagon, everyone will be back soon!” Mymble looked down at My. The younger mymble’s bitter appearance had begun to melt into something a little more outwardly sad but she said nothing. After a moment, Mymble continued. “If it’d help… you could always write letters to help articulate your feelings. Whether or not you send them, I’ve found it very helpful.”

Little My shrugged yet again, “Maybe.” That was all. Just maybe. Mymble shared a look with Moominmamma as they proceeded down the stairs and into the parlor. She, herself was worrying about her family quite a bit...

“I really should write to my mother… Might help me get my nerves in order.” Mymble muttered, ever so slightly holding Little My closer to herself. She knew that Moominpappa had written to the Mymble, but it was different.  _ She _ had her own thoughts to get out. Soon enough, they got into the parlor. The dull light of morning shone through the windows rather serenely. Some of the candles were lit now, as Too-Ticky had been up for a while, it seems, preparing for her trek out after the wagon.

“Good morning, you all.” She greeted before pausing, an odd look coming across her face. “...well, you know.” she sighed, straightening up as she closed her bag. She stood for a moment, thinking, before crossing over to the other ladies. “I’ll be headed out here pretty soon.” She claimed, shifting her mess of hair behind her ears.

“But you’ll be staying for breakfast right?” Mymble asked, giving her a worried look. “Surely it isn’t a good idea to go out there without eating.” Too-Ticky glanced at the window for the moment before nodding. 

“I do suppose you're right.” Too-Ticky agreed slowly, rubbing the back of her neck. “How is Little My doing?” She asked, looking at the small girl.

“I’m doing fine! Can I please just be set down or something??” My whined, kicking her little legs again. “I don’t gotta be held all the time!” Mymble rolled her eyes and dropped her on the sofa. 

“Alright, alright… we’ll bring you breakfast when it’s done, but you can’t complain if you hurt yourself.” She said, placing her hands on her hips. Too-Ticky smiled, a quiet chuckle just barely escaping her. Moominmamma shook her head lightheartedly. 

“I’m going to get started on breakfast-- nothing too spectacular, though. I’m… a bit exhausted still.” She explained softly as she made her way past the younger ladies and to her kitchen. Mymble stood with Too-Ticky and My for a moment more, almost dead quiet.

Too-Ticky scanned Mymble’s face, frowning at the awful bruise that was still on her temple, a deep contrasting color that just sat there on Mymble’s pale skin. “How are you feeling? I don’t really think that we took a good look at your bruises.” She noted. Mymble averted her gaze, shrugging and letting silence return.

Little My was getting herself comfortable on the sofa, hardly paying attention to the others. Mymble shuffled awkwardly on her feet, thinking. She hesitated before hugging Too-Ticky.

“Please bring my brother back safely.” She murmured before pulling away, silence hanging on her words the parlor. “I’ll go help Moominmamma in the kitchen now.” She stated suddenly before turning and heading into the kitchen as well.

After a moment, banter and the sounds of the kitchen filled the air. Conversation felt awkward between most of the folks in Moominhouse, but it was relieving to speak of pleasant things and hum random tunes as they cooked. Too-Ticky was doing well enough keeping Little My from getting too rambunctious and irritating her bandaged feet, mostly telling stories and sharing ideas for adventures or pranks that could be done after things returned to normal. Too-Ticky was, of course, much more considerate about whoever was on the receiving end of the pranks than My, but both girls got a good laugh at the ideas regardless.

Being able to cook definitely brought some more normalcy to Moominmamma’s mind, letting herself step back from all of the horrible things going on. However, she felt it was best to create a light breakfast so that Too-Ticky could head out sooner. With Mymble’s help, she had no doubt that Too-Ticky could be out the door in no time.

Thanks to them preparing a simple meal, breakfast was ready very quickly. Moominmamma didn’t seem too hungry and reasonably so. My, however, certainly was. Very little was said throughout the meal, besides when Too-Ticky got up to leave. She had eaten fairly quickly, claiming that she “needed to get a move on before those hunters got too far”. With a few short words and promises, Too-Ticky was off to the parlor again, slinging her pack over her shoulders. With a glance back to the dining table, she waved and she was off.

The snow was deep, but thankfully not too much so. Too-Ticky was still able to go out and walk… She headed along, luckily knowing Moominvalley in the snow well. She wrung her hands together, cringing at how cold they were. She just had to hope she found the wagon before a beast like the Groke did. The image of coming across the whole lot, frozen and dead, was horrifying to think of. She hastened her pace, looking towards the mountains. Luckily there was only one real path those criminals could pull that wagon through-- the longest way across the range. The other people aiding the search could catch up, if they weren’t headed out already. 

The trek to the mountains was far too serene for her liking, but from the distance, she could see a few of the police officers by the pass. She waved but said nothing, just jogging over the snowy woodlands between them. Their party’s numbers were greatly limited by the fact that, well, people got hurt. That’s why they had to stop chasing the wagon… She trudged out of the trees, meeting with the officers. Only two could come along-- the inspector was trying to look into the place the wagon was headed. Based on the maps, their biggest worry right now was if they made it to a train stop and ditched the cart…

If those hunters got on a train, they could never catch up. They’d just have to hope they could find Moominpappa and the kids in Adawood before it was too late. No one wanted to be the beast who told Moominmamma that her boys would never come back.

Too-Ticky led the team over the snowy rocks along the mountain pass. The blizzard had long covered up the wagon’s tracks, so they had to just keep an eye out now… They had to be cautious, otherwise they’d be found out and that was a major risk. They weren’t well armed at all and, with that one guy being such a good shot, they weren’t likely to beat them in a fight.

Not a beast on the mountainside was awake. Not a single creep was about, it seemed. It was enough to make a fully grown creature uneasy. The sky was overcast, releasing a gentle flurry of snow down upon the tracking party. They stuck to the spaces with the most coverage-- just in case.

Too-Ticky scanned the snow ahead of her party carefully, looking for any sort of track in the snow. The snow was mostly undisturbed until they reached a trail of tire tracks in the snow. She knelt down, examining the lines. The wagon had all but tumbled along the rocky surface, it seemed and, based on how smooth the tracks were, those wooden wheels were at a high risk of breaking or getting stuck. Too-Ticky smiled to herself. Regardless of how big a lead those crooks had, there was a chance that they could be caught.

Too-ticky stood back up, turning to the officers with her.

“They were here not too long ago, we might be able to catch up-- it’s a wooden wagon, it’s not made for rough terrain.” She explained, gesturing to the trail. “We should follow these tracks for now. If they get stuck, we can get our friends back.” She declared before turning back and started to follow the wagon’s trail through the snow.


	18. Chapter 18

The wagon ambled along the Lonely Mountain pass, carefully navigating the cliffs and rocks that stood before them. The snowy crags towered above them, dotted with bits of greenery that sat dormant for the season. Twisted branches tore cracks into the overcast skies. A few winter birds flitted about now and then, bringing a much needed distraction from the dreadful situation. A jay was perched on a bush ripe with red winter berries, watching the wagon pass. Despite that, the air was devoid of song.

Moomintroll had been lost in thought. He found that thinking about death was taxing on him but he just couldn’t stop. He was terrified that he would die at this point. Sure there was the hope that they could get Sneak’s help, but… still. It was odd to the boy as he had been faced with many challenges, he had seen everyone around him react in their own different ways. But this was different. Everyone was different. It really sold Moomin on just how dire the situation was.

Pappa usually acted… differently when it came to threats. This was somehow different from the Groke or even that prank Stinky had pulled. Pappa liked a good opportunity for a daring quest or adventure, but the way Pappa stared out into the snow with an odd look of conviction. This wasn’t another adventure, Moomin supposed. Moomin glanced at his ankle. Maybe the chance for that was snuffed out as soon as he got hurt. It was strange, for sure. 

Snufkin hadn’t changed a lot… well, from a surface level. Moomin could certainly tell there was a lot on Snufkin’s mind. Regardless of whatever he was thinking about, he was still very smart and kind. Too kind to the Moomins. Moomin looked at Snufkin in his peripheral vision. His friend was deep in thought too, face flushed from the cold. Moomin truly admired him. Snufkin had sacrificed far more than he had to, yet he still soldiered on...

Moomin was drawn out of his thoughts when the wagon hit a particularly rough patch with a terrible crack. Moomin and Snufkin’s heads were smacked right into each other rather hard from the sudden and jarring movement. Moomin yelped, rubbing his head, jumping at the sound of, yet another crack. They were still moving for a moment, Sneak calling out to his horse to stop. Moominpappa glanced around-- the bottom corner by Nels’ was tipping. As the wagon kept moving, the further it dipped over. Nels cursed, shuffling ever so carefully away from the edge of the wagon. 

Moominpappa forced his bad arm to grip onto the wagon as he drew both of the boys close. He gritted his teeth, seeing just about anything that wasn’t secured down start to slide towards where the cart was falling. When they came to a complete stop, Sneak turned, a deep frown carved into his features.

“Shit… I told you this wagon ain’t good for this kind of travel! It was hard enough without the snow.” Sneak grunted, waving an arm to exaggerate his point. “You three should get out so we can fix whatever broke.” Sneak added in a much calmer voice to Moominpappa and the boys. Sneak unhooked the horse and hopped off the wagon, walking around to the back. Moominpappa tightened his grip on the boys slightly

“You have to help them get off! It’s a bit precarious here.” He said, looking at Sneak, who was helping Nels get onto solid ground. 

“Yeah, yeah, give me a minute!” Sneak snapped. “Nels, hold the wagon steady so she doesn’t fall.” He directed his partner, going to where Moominpappa was hanging. His makeshift bandage was looking pretty bad-- fresh blood was seeping through as Pappa exerted himself.

“Alright then… Come on, Moomin, you first.” Pappa directed, voice firm. Moomin nodded, carefully extracting himself from his father’s hold. He struggled with his ankle, of course, tears in his eyes from the very start. He shuffled along the edge of the wagon, holding on for dear life. Moomin’s feet slipped on the dampened wood, causing fear to grip the poor boy’s heart. His arms shook terribly as he pulled himself along. Sneak took hold of Moomin’s wrist as soon as he was in reach, helping to pull him over.

Moomin stumbled onto the earth, a chill shooting up from his paws as he was forced to lean against Sneak. His swollen ankle throbbed painfully. Sneak helped Moomin sit down in the snow before hurrying over to help get the rest out of the wagon. Nels shifted his grip on the wagon.

“We should get the other moomin off next. We ain’t getting paid for the mumrik.” Nels stated, glancing over at Sneak. Sneak gave Nels a side glance.

“You really are a heartless bastard, eh? I’m getting the kids off first.” Sneak snapped, standing up and heading back over to the wagon. He looked at Moominpappa and Snufkin, nodding. Snufkin was able to get across much easier than Moomin, barely having a problem at all. He still held onto the edge of the wagon, wary of how the wagon tilted at each small movement.

Snufkin slid off of the wagon, Sneak helping him climb down. As soon as he hit the ground, he stepped back from the edge, glancing around. This area certainly looked precarious… They were lucky that the wagon didn’t go over one of the rocks and tumbled along the mountainside entirely. Snufkin shuffled closer to Moomin wordlessly, keeping those thoughts to himself. Next, Sneak helped Moominpappa off the cart. The sheer size of Pappa made it a bit more difficult, but they managed nonetheless. 

As soon as Mooninpappa was off of the wagon, Nels and Sneak lifted the edge of the cart, the wheel and axle sagging unceremoniously. The wheel was at a completely wrong angle. Already not good. Sneak’s tail twitched as he saw the damage.

“I don’t know about fixing this, Nels.” He grunted as they got the wheel back over the edge, setting the wagon down. Nels didn’t respond, just watching Sneak. Sneak knelt, starting to examine the whole situation. It looked like the wheel had slid out from under the wagon on a particularly slick spot. It snapped right where the wheel was attached… Since the wheel went over the side of a rock, the axle broke too! Sneak ran his paws along his muzzle, groaning in exasperation. Of course… of course. “Yea, I can’t manage a break like this on my own.” Sneak muttered, turning to Nels.

Nels scanned Sneak’s face, his own appearing unreadable. “What then? We walkin?”

“Looks like it.” Sneak hummed, walking around to the front of the cart. Moomin’s ears drooped. He couldn’t walk for long… Much less on a mountain pass! Moominpappa’s grip tightened slightly. He was probably thinking the same thing. Nels looked back along their trail.

“It’s not like we can really stop. They're probably on our tail now that the blizzard passed.” Nels hummed, stepping up onto the wagon to grab the necessities. "Be glad I know that guy out south! Damn turtle doves couldn't manage walking the whole way!" Nels added with a rough chuckle. Moomin quietly grabbed Snufkin's hand once that pet name left Nels' lips. He certainly didn't like it. It made him feel… feel uncomfortable and scared! 

On the other hand, Sneak was bringing his horse around, perched on its back. The horse looked a bit spooked from the whole ordeal but was taking it fairly well… Nels pulled out their food and other survival supplies, making sure they were secured together. Sneak slid off his horse’s side and helped get supplies fastened onto the horse. 

“The kid should probably ride-- he won’t last long walking with his leg like that.” Sneak noted, looking at Moomin. The Moomin honestly didn’t know if he wanted to leave the comfort of his family at this point, though. Sneak headed over to the kid, sighing. “Kid, you’re gonna be okay, it’s not like your dad’s going too far. It’s better than hurting the whole time, yeah? It’s a long walk.” Moomin noded, letting Sneak lead him over to the horse. Nels watched on, scowling. Sneak had been a bit too kind to their CAPTIVES. They were captives, not guests. 

Now Nels would yell at the dumb beast, but he was right about that kid going to slow them down… Nels looked back at the wagon. Some of their ammo and weapons had to be left behind, but as long as he and Sneak were armed, it would be fine. Nels fixed his rifle strap over his shoulder. Sneak held the horse’s reins tight.

“Ready to head off?” Sneak asked, glancing back at Nels. Nels nodded and stepped over to Moominpappa and Snufkin, shoving them forward. 

“Come on, you two. Get moving.” He ordered roughly. Moominpappa walked on quietly, eyes drifting along the cold horizons. They could still see the valley if they just looked back… Pappa shook his head and turned his gaze to his son. Snufkin was close still-- odd for the boy, but Pappa could tell the young mumrik was cold. The trek on foot would be more strenuous. Snufkin was used to this but Moominpappa highly doubted they would be able to take too many breaks for camp. Why, they could even be stuck walking into the night! If that were to happen, who’s to say the Groke wouldn’t find them?

Fortunately (or unfortunately) going without the wagon meant they would cover more rough terrain. They could take any short cut regardless of how dangerous it may be. Sneak led the horse along behind Nels and the captives, clambering along rocky pathways. Moomin was holding onto the horse tight, wary of the ice that could be hiding along the cliffside-- especially after what happened to the wagon. His gaze kept wandering. He couldn’t very well talk to Pappa or Snufkin, so he didn’t exactly know what to do with himself. He peered down at Sneak after a moment, remembering what Snufkin had said earlier. He could always try being nice… It was a bit nerve-wracking, though. Sneak had beaten him up!

Moomin shuddered, trying to shrug away his fear. It was a chance… a chance for them to get out of this. Once the silence grew unbearable, he finally spoke.

“S-so… I was wondering…” He didn’t know how to put together words without possibly angering the Sneak. Moomin took a deep breath. “Err… Well, how did you end up doing this?” Moomin tried, looking down at Sneak as his nerves ran wild. Sneak looked up, surprised. 

“Well! Thought your friend would have told you.” Sneak spoke fairly quickly, almost as if he wanted to avoid the topic.

“Not much.... And it’d be nice to get rid of all this quiet, you know?” Moomin tried to reason, paws gripping onto the horse’s blanket. He didn’t want to fail and lose one of their last shots at escape. He just had to hope that, maybe, he could get through to his captor.

“I suppose.” Sneak murmured, staring off into the morning’s light. The mountains were beautiful and intimidating, sitting in their serene silence. It was like that for what felt like an eternity before Sneak finally spoke. “Guess we can talk. Nels would never listen to anything I’d have to say anyways...” He muttered, scratching at his ear with a paw. Sneak cast a glance at Moomin, seeing the poor kid just staring ahead at the path before them. Sneak sighed softly.

“Well,” Sneak began, “I’m usually just a petty thief. I never really wanted to kill nobody in my life but…” He kicked at the snow with his foot, eyes seeming forlorn. “I uh… Have a kid and, well, her birthday is coming. A big milestone, y’know? Thought I’d take a big job to get her something nice.” Sneak explained, staring at the mountainside. He didn’t want to see whatever damned face that kid was pulling now. “It was a mistake, really.” Sneak muttered. “When… When I hurt you in the forest, I scared myself. Didn’t know I could be like that.” 

“Even if I wasn’t here, someone else would be sent out in my place I guess, though. At least I can try and keep Nels in check for ya.” He chuckled dryly. 

Moomin looked down. “St-still… You don’t gotta do this.” He tried, shooting Sneak a desperate look. Sneak glanced over.

“Look, kid, I… if I didn’t have to do this, I would’ve stopped this whole mess a while back.” Sneak muttered, lip drawing back in a half-hearted snarl. “I don’t want to go home empty handed.”

“But you’ll go back a killer?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yee haw! My birthday is tomorrow! I was deeply debating posting two chapters, but I hadn't realized how close my posting schedule has gotten me to where I am writing-wise! I'll still be posting the next chapter on the 12th, though.   
> <3


	19. Chapter 19

Indeed, Nels refused to stop once again, even well into the night! The moon was only about every now and then but the man insisted that they couldn’t let any search parties catch up. The daytime had been much less eventful after they had to abandon the wagon. The day was mostly quiet-- save for a few creeps and winter birds that deemed it safe enough to forage on the mountainside. Snufkin helped Moominpappa navigate the rocky mountain with what knowledge and superior sight he may have. Snufkin couldn’t say the same for Nels, however, almost hoping that the man would slip at this point. Pappa shared that sentiment. 

After half a day of silence, Moomin and Sneak made up conversation along the way as well, regardless of how many times Nels told them to shut up. Once night had begun to settle, the two soon spoke of their families and friends or what they liked about “home”. Moomintroll’s kind warmth melted away at Sneak’s walls quickly. It seemed the Sneak was passionate about the people in his life. Moomin was still wary about pushing the wrong buttons, though… Sneak had shut down so quickly after what he had said earlier... He tried his best to keep from asking questions, just allowing Sneak to carry the direction of the conversation. Moomin had to admit that such casual conversation did ease his nerves a little. 

Whenever Sneak spoke of his daughter, he became so animated. He wanted so desperately to give her the best, but life seemed harder in cities in comparison to Moominvalley. Of course, the trip on the Riviera was jarring for him but still… Moomin sighed, head resting against the horse’s neck. To think that there was such a place as that. 

“I just wish things could go back to normal.” Moomin murmured quietly, earning a sympathetic look from Sneak but no more than that. The moonlight peered between the mountains and clouds, quietly watching the party go along their way. The light wasn’t entirely inviting, but it was what they had now.

Nels called back from further ahead. “Snow’s coming again!” He was gesturing for the back of the party. It was hard to see any stray snowflakes, but you could definitely feel them. When the moon peered out from the clouds, another storm could be seen brewing over the Lonely Mountain. Nels stopped for a moment, turning around. “We can either stop for camp or keep pushing until we’re off the mountainside.” Quietly, Snufkin fell into thought, weighing their options. Moominpappa pulled himself out of his thoughts, looking over at Nels. In his opinion, both options had their risks… They didn’t necessarily know of any safe places to camp out the storm, but what if the storm came quickly? The heaviest snow would likely stay on the other side of the mountain and with their current pace, they may be able to make it. He was about to speak when Nels piped up again. 

“Well, mumrik? Know about any other caves?” He asked, crossing his arms. Snufkin nodded, having pulled the Sneak’s jacket tight around himself to try and combat the cold further.

“I know of a lot of places we could hide up h-here.” He shivered, cringing away as snow hit his face. “But I don’t think everyone here could climb up to the closest one…” Snufkin murmured. Nels scoffed, turning back around and shoving his hands in his pockets. 

“Alright then, looks like we’re not stopping!” Nels declared, even picking up his pace! Jerk… Snufkin glanced up the mountainside. He knew of many hidden places… But a horse couldn’t climb too well and with Moomin and Moominpappa’s injuries, they’d never get up in time. For now, they could manage hurrying down to the trees. They’d have to manage. Snufkin gripped the jacket’s sleeves closed, hands trembling slightly. He desperately wanted to get out of this cold!

Moominpappa had fallen back to his musings. He felt pathetic, like a frightened boy in the dark forests of his childhood once again. The way the cold bit at him, the way hunger gnawed at him… It was all too familiar. Now, however, it was magnified by a very real threat. A threat that could very well destroy everything he had worked hard for in his life. His breath huffed out before him in the moonlight like the pale wisps of a ghost fleeing into the darkness. His eyes couldn’t make out just how far they were from the forests below. He felt Snufkin carefully maneuvering him away from the edge of some rocks, pulling him back once more. 

Moominpappa looked down at the boy, ears pressed back. Snufkin’s color was lost to the moon’s fluttering rays, making him seem ashen against the dark black horizon. It was odd to see a face so like the Joxter’s riddled with worry. Pappa took a deep breath, turning back to face the path that lay ahead of himself.

The moon was only about halfway through the sky and the brewing storm was getting trapped by the winds that gushed through the mountains, most of the storm stuck behind them as they descended lower and lower, further still from the safety of Moominvalley. Moomintroll had begun dozing on the horse’s back, snow sticking to his coat-- however, it was rather difficult to tell in the dark so Sneak neither said nor did anything about it. He just kept his eyes on his paws as they stepped within Snufkin’s bootprints, cautious yet keeping pace with those ahead of him. He couldn’t lose sight of them, lest he risk himself, his horse, and the slumbering Moomin to the cold. 

The walk was long and arduous. By the time the trees began to thicken, paws were aching and bodies were absolutely freezing. Snufkin had resigned to being pressed against Moominpappa to keep warm-- while still helping the older fellow around the still rather rocky earth in the dark. The moon was still above them, cascading light through the trees, still only a pale comparison to the sun. Nels slowed his pace once they had cleared the storm for the most part. Nels scanned the forest for suitable clearings. They wouldn’t be able to set up the most lavish camp, but as long as it would serve its purpose, they’d survive.

The sloped surface of the mountain pass faded slowly over time into a rough forest, with only a faint path worn into the grass. If they were to camp, they’d need to get away from said path. If there was a trail, there were travelers. While they were still armed, Nels didn’t want to risk running out of ammo in case that damned woman and those police officers managed to catch up. Having not stopped for the night or the storm definitely put him at an advantage here, an advantage he didn’t want to lose.

He’ll admit, he got rather cocky with Moominvalley. He thought those Moomins would be an easy mark but oh no, no, he got outsmarted by that damn mumrik kid. Nels couldn’t wait to just be rid of the tramp… He was ready to put a bullet in his head as soon as he lost his use. Maybe he’d shoot somewhere less fatal… that way the kid would have to suffer more for the bullshit he put him in!

Getting rid of the mumrik would also mean they’d be less likely to run out of food. Sneak was insistent on feeding their captives. It was annoying but Nels supposed it was better than lugging a couple of dead bodies over a mountain.

Eventually, a suitable clearing was found. Nels and Sneak were quick to start pulling supplies free and, rather haphazardly, set up camp. Snufkin couldn’t help but make up insults in his head. Of course, they were all tired but he couldn’t help himself. Nels struggled with the tarp while Sneak got to work preparing a fire. At least that fellow had the common sense to put together an actual fire pit. Snufkin glanced over at the horse, seeing how it stood idly in the breeze, dozing as its tail flicked to and fro. Moomintroll was still asleep, slumped over the horse’s back, almost looking like a fat lump of snow that got stuck on the beast’s shoulders.

“Moomin..!” Snufkin called the troll, trying not to raise his voice too much. Moomin groaned softly in his sleep, shifting a bit. The movement caused a small lump of snow to fall, plopping onto the ground. A lump made its way up into his throat. He carefully extracted himself from Moominpappa’s side and towards the horse. “Moomin, are you alright?” He asked. Stupid question aside, he took hold of the most arm-shaped lump of white he found and tugged lightly. Moominpappa came up behind him, examining the situation before trying to get Moomin’s attention as well.

Snufkin looked at Moominpappa. “Could you help me get him down? He must be freezing up there-- covered in snow.” He was a bit short to get a good hold of Moomin, forced to just tug at his arm with what strength he had. It definitely shook a lot of snow from Moomin’s back. How long had Moomin been sitting like this? If he got sick, Snufkin didn’t know what they would do. As soon as Moominpappa got his good paw onto his son, Moomin was awake.

Moomintroll didn’t speak, humming in a confused way. His blue eyes were steeped with exhaustion despite having slept for so long… He was definitely cold. Moominpappa could feel how his son’s body trembled slightly in the frigid air-- which was good. It was definitely good in this case. Moominpappa strained his injured arm again to reach up, putting his arms around Moomin, hissing in pain as his son slid from the horse’s back, his full force practically slamming right into Moominpappa’s chest, sending hot pins into his arm. It seemed the longer he stood, the deeper those pins got... Moomin looked at his father, blinking wearily. 

“Pappa..? What time is it?” He asked, shifting slightly in Moominpappa’s arms. Pappa swayed a bit, holding Moomin tight. Booble, why did his boy have to weigh so much..? Snufkin held out his hands to catch his friend in case Moominpappa’s bad arm gave out.

“You shouldn’t strain your arm like that…” Snufkin warned Moominpappa softly, eyes flitting to the bloody makeshift bandage. With each tentative step, the pain intensified. Moominpappa set his jaw, glancing at Snufkin. The mumrik was walking backwards, glancing back and forth to make sure he wouldn’t trip and to make sure Moomin wouldn’t fall. Pappa took a deep breath, shutting his eyes for a brief moment.

“Well, can you carry him, Snufkin?” Pappa asked, grunting with agitation as he headed over to where Sneak was preparing the fire. Snufkin said nothing, simply shaking his head as a twinge of shame came over him. Moominpappa nodded, fighting back hot tears of pain. “N-now that’s what I... thought.” His injured arm felt as though a dagger was being torn through it over and over, twisting and pushing-- oozing hot blood that soaked into his fur... They all had to suffer pain to keep eachother safe. That’s just the way their lives would be for now… Both he and Snufkin had to understand this at that point.

Sneak, having heard the commotion, looked up from his sticks and rocks. His eyebrows shot up at the sight. “Hey now, what are you doing?” He asked, rising from where he was seated and closing the gap, squinting to see them in the shadow of night. Moominpappa let himself collapse to his knees next to the unlit fire pit, panting and gripping his bandage. Snufkin sat carefully, whispering something to Moomin to make sure that Moomin could become aware… and hopefully stay that way. Snufkin found his eyes wandering to the bloody rag that was his smock turning an awful shade of brownish-red in the low light, he placed a paw on Moomin’s arm, looking up at Sneak, urgency in his eyes.

“Can you take care of Moominpappa’s arm while I start the fire?” He asked, though it was more of an order. Snufkin couldn’t help that. Someone needed to take charge here… and obviously neither of the men cared nor noticed! He couldn’t just wait. Nels glanced over from the tarp. 

“Hey now, cut that garbage out. Nobody’s gonna be taking orders from some dirty mumrik brat.” He stated gruffly.

“My friend is freezing!” Snufkin hissed, glaring harshly at Nels. Nels stood upright now, fixing his belt. His eyes were studying Snufkin in the dark, but dark clouds began to cover the moon.

“So?” Nels taunted. “I’ll still be getting paid when your little boyfriend is dead!” He exclaimed before falling into a rough cackle. 

Snufkin was seeing red.


	20. Chapter 20

Snufkin stood still, fists clenched tight. Everyone was looking at him. Everyone expected him to do something-- to fight, to give up… anything in between, really. He just needed to act somehow. He definitely didn’t want to just sit back down on the sidelines and let that hunter talk like that. He needed to prove Moomin’s true worth to that heartless bastard! He never thought he'd have the need to do such a thing but here he was. He had to explain to a grown man that the Moomins weren’t just a product for him to make a profit off of.

In the darkness, he could see Nels was unarmed. His gun was sitting by the tarp against the tree. Snufkin had a feeling that he was faster than Nels… Snufkin could rush him and do some real damage before Nels could get to the gun, but he also knew he would easily get overpowered. Nels wouldn't have his rifle, but he had a weight advantage on him. He didn’t believe that logic made sense in this case, however. He wanted to claw that man’s face until he was unrecognizable regardless of how unrealistic it was.

The tension hung in the air like marionette strings, holding everyone in the clearing in suspense. Snufkin muscles wound up tight, ready to spring full force at Nels, eyes glinting furiously in the dark like a cat’s. Just before he could lunge, he was stopped. He felt a soft paw grip onto him and pull him back to sit down on the earth. Snufkin didn't look behind him, eyes locked onto Nels, but he heard how Pappa spoke quietly but reassuringly to him as he forced the mumrik to sit beside him.

“My boy, it isn’t worth it… let him laugh now and we’ll show him what for later, alright?” He tried to reassure Snufkin. He knew how Snufkin was feeling… Of course, he also knew (by his own youthful folly) how acting on those feelings that brashly would do no good here. Snufkin would just get himself hurt… or worse. He didn't want to see Moomin's face if he knew Snufkin threw himself into death for him. It was very romantic in a way, but it wasn't right. 

Moominpappa gave up on trying to see Snufkin’s face now, just looking down at the white shape that was his son. So many features in the world around him were lost to the darkness. He gently placed a paw on Moomin's shoulder. “That man can wait. Moomin can’t.” He murmured, closing his eyes. He was breathing heavily with pain still, slowly releasing Snufkin’s hand and moving his focus to helping his son warm up. 

Snufkin nodded reluctantly, his blood still practically boiling in his anger. Nels' laughter… the man thought he'd won. It was infuriating but maybe he had. Snufkin looked to Sneak who had seemingly ignored Nels entirely. The Sneak was already pulling medical supplies free of the horse’s saddlebags before returning to the fire pit. Snufkin nodded again-- more to himself at that point-- much more assuredly, examining the state of the fire. It wasn't terrible… The wood was damp and would burn terribly, but he could manage. As he got to work starting the fire, he felt a weak tug on his sleeve. Moomintroll was looking between Snufkin and Moominpappa with concern and confusion. His grip was loose-- very loose. His fingers were probably numb.

“Wh-where are we..? How’d..?”

Snufkin reached over, patting Moomin’s paw. “You fell asleep, Moomin. We’re on the other side of the mountain now.” He explained calmly, looking over his friend’s face for a good moment before turning his gaze back to the fire pit. Moominpappa nodded, trying to help Moomin sit up. 

“How are you feeling?” Pappa asked, holding Moomin’s paw, his other hand bracing Moomin’s back. Moomin shrugged wordlessly, prompting Pappa to simply pull him close for now. Moomin nestled his head against Moominpappa’s good shoulder, humming softly.

“‘M really cold…” He murmured. 

“I know… We’ll get you warmed up here pretty soon.” Moominpappa tried to reassure, smiling a faint and somewhat forced smile. Moomin hummed, shutting his eyes and snuggling close. Moominpappa frowned at the action. Any other time and it would be endearing but… “Now, you shouldn’t go to sleep, Moomin, you’re freezing cold.” Pappa warned, gently jostling his son. Snufkin was blowing on the beginnings of the fire, causing small flames to tentatively rise along the dampened wood’s surface. 

Sneak set his medical supplies down and sat cross-legged beside Moominpappa, regarding the makeshift bandage for a moment. He didn't have the most supplies, but he could manage, most likely… He pulled out his knife so he wouldn’t have to fiddle with the knot, carefully sliding the knife up between fur and fabric. 

Pappa just kept speaking to Moomin, asking him questions and telling him short anecdotes to keep him occupied like how Mymble had done. Snufkin regarded the action thoughtfully. He supposed such things came easily to them…

Whereas Mymble asked simple questions, Moominpappa asked rather bizarre ones. Snufkin supposed such things would be pretty effective distractions. Snufkin glanced over, watching the pair of moomins-- and Sneak working on Moominpappa's arm. Snufkin made sure the fire would keep before drawing himself closer to them. He tried to join in on the conversation, though he didn’t think he had anything much to contribute at all, really. Moominpappa seemed to have appreciated the effort anyways.

Sneak cut the ruined tunic away, pulling it off from Moominpappa’s arm carefully. The wound had barely had the time to heal, the wound had only been clotting. Regardless, the stress Moominpappa had put on his arm had reopened the wound. Sneak frowned, looking at the bloody wound. They should have taken care of it sooner... He went about the usual routine of cleaning, even going as far as to try and suture the wound. Luckily, this time the bullet went straight through so they wouldn’t need to worry about the bullet causing an infection at all. 

As soon as Sneak pressed a cotton swab of alcohol against the angry mess of matted fur, Moominpappa jerked with a cry. Oh Booble did it sting! The noise almost immediately snapped Moomin up into alertness. His eyes were suddenly aware now.

“Pappa!” He yelped, sitting up quickly despite a strange stiffness in his muscles. His head pounded a bit as he took in the scene around him. ...Moominpappa was okay… so was Snufkin. They were all okay. He slumped with a sigh of relief. His head was so foggy earlier, this whole situation felt odd and out of place. It was as if he just skipped ahead in time! Well, technically he did? Moomin shook his head. This was no time for such musings. The snow around him was much thinner and a thick array of trees towered around him. “S-so we really are on the other side of the mountain now?” Moomin asked.

Sneak nodded, starting to wrap up Moominpappa’s wound tightly. “Yeah. Just a few days travel and we’ll be passing the railroads-- Adawood is one of the stops for the train.” He informed Moomin, pausing and giving him a worried look. “You should warm yourself by the fire, boy. You were covered in snow not too long ago!” Moomin stared for a moment before nodding and shuffling closer to where Snufkin was sitting in front of the fire pit. Sneak made sure the bandage was secure before sitting back and looking at Moomin. “Sorry I didn’t notice. You coulda gotten frostbit and I didn’t even know!”

Nels approached the whole lot of them, a disapproving look in his eyes. “Sneak, these are our quarry, not our friends. They don’t deserve a damn lick of sympathy from you. Get that through your skull or I’ll leave your ass to rot.” Silence fell afterwards. Snufkin glanced at Nels, silently hoping Moomin hadn’t been aware enough to understand what Nels had said earlier… About how he was worth the same dead or alive… He didn’t want Moomin to need to think about that.

Once he felt he was warm enough, Snufkin stretched and looked over at the Sneak. “Can I change Moomin’s bandages? They’re looking… Well, they’ve gotten pretty bad.” Snufkin wanted to elaborate but he didn’t want to dwell on how disgusting the old bandages were. Sneak nodded and pushed the supplies over before standing, shaking out his fur, and going to prepare their next meal. Moomin was oddly quiet, just staring at the flames. Snufkin tried to shrug that off as he got to work on Moomin’s dressings. Moominpappa had soon joined them to sit by the fire, now sporting a very real bandage in place of the makeshift one. 

Snow drifted down to the earth slowly and sparsely. Moomin was leaning against his Pappa again, tail thumping against the snowy grass. Snufkin took care of his leg like he did while they were waiting for Too-Ticky. He didn’t necessarily have to now. Well, he never  _ had _ to. Moomin appreciated him for doing it anyways. He watched his friend work quietly, settled comfortably as the dim fire radiated its warmth, pooling in Moomin's chest.

Between rising licks of fire, Moomin could see how Nels reached into his boot, pulling a knife from the leather. Moomin didn’t mean to tense up, but he did, alerting both Moominpappa and Snufkin. Pappa drew him closer, not even looking at the man. Nels seemed to take notice of this, making a grand flourish of checking over his blade, making sure the tool was sharp and clear of nicks. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a chipped-up round of wood. Moomin slumped back down, sighing in relief. Just… wood carving. Nels was a jerk... 

The evening dragged on. One would assume a meal based on preserves would be over and done with rather quickly, but Moomin and Snufkin soon found themselves struggling to occupy themselves. Moomin was watching the fire as it dimly licked at the air. The snow that had been around the fire pit was melting, leaving the water to glisten in the light. Moomin shut his eyes with a sigh, knitting his brows together as he fought to imagine something. He needed to escape for a bit… but he couldn’t get himself to see anything.

Any time he tried to think, it was about how much he didn’t want to die. If he were to die, he had so many things to do first! Most importantly, he just wanted to live. He wanted to grow older and love and be loved! He wanted to go on many, many adventures still! A winter’s journey with Snufkin was a dream to Moomin but… In dreams it was nothing like this. At this rate he’d never see his other friends or his Mamma again… Neither he or his Pappa would get a proper grave either! Oh, what mother would want to bury a  _ coat  _ that used to be her son? 

Eventually, a plate was set before the three captives. It was just one serving, of course.. Moominpappa took a deep breath and pushed the plate to the kids. 

“You two eat first, alright?” He directed softly. Moomin wanted to argue but didn’t, just doing as he was told quietly. Snufkin did as well, though he began to think of ways to try and fix that issue. Of course, if he could try and find winter forage, they wouldn’t have to just barely get by… But he didn’t trust the hunters at all. Both of the boys did their best to leave enough food for Moominpappa. Pappa, of course, was a bit annoyed that the boys hadn’t prioritized themselves but he supposed it was just a product of how well they were raised.

After eating came what everyone was dreading. Sleep. At least with the cave they were in before, there was enough space for Pappa and the boys to keep a fair distance from Nels and Sneak, but now they’d all be stuck under that tarp-- too close for comfort. Snufkin was extremely anxious but he supposed he’d rather be anxious than freezing in a snow flurry. 

Snufkin laid on an outside edge, gazing out into the trees. Moomin refused to let him lie out on his own, however, insistent that he didn’t want Snufkin to freeze overnight. With some help, he had made it to the tarp and settled beside Snufkin. Regardless, Snufkin tried to insist that Moomin didn’t need to but he was ultimately ignored. Moomintroll enveloped Snufkin in an embrace and the two ended up dozing quickly.

Moominpappa couldn’t bring himself to sleep just yet though. He had a bad feeling... Pappa’s gut told him to douse the dying fire now. He knew what sort of things lurked in the night and did not want to see a Groke going off and making a terrible situation worse… But then again, he wouldn’t mind a good distraction… Either way, their injuries and poor nutrition would make for a terrible getaway. Moominpappa rubbed his temples, groaning. Even his great wit had failed him now.

Nels and Sneak always made a habit of sleeping in shifts. Nels always had the first shift of lookout duty. It just further deterred any ideas of escape. Moominpappa knew he’d likely fall asleep before the shifts could change. He was at a loss… He was always at a loss now, it seemed… but he didn’t want to give up just yet. Pappa slumped, shutting his eyes and holding his head in his paws. Maybe rest would help him clear his mind.


	21. Chapter 21

When Too-Ticky and her search party saw the abandoned wagon, of course they assumed the worst. Snow had begun to settle on the wood and no one was there. A fair amount of supplies were left behind from the looks of it… Luckily they could see a few faint footprints left behind, a bit worn away by fresh snow and the mountain winds. They’d left quite a while ago, it seemed. And with another storm coming…

Too-Ticky pulled her hat off, looking down the path, her fingers twitching around the fabric anxiously. They should follow the tracks while they are still somewhat visible. She glanced back at her search party, sighing. 

“Could one of you guys head back to the valley to tell the Inspector that they’re going by foot now? He should be able to call or send a telegram to Adawood’s police…” She ran a hand through her hair. She was getting pretty exhausted at this point, but she had to push forward-- at least until she knew they couldn’t get trapped on the mountain. One of the officers nodded.

“I could do that.” He claimed before stepping over to the broken down wagon. “I do think we should check for any clues before we go our separate ways though. There could be something here that could help find out who those hunters are working for.” He brushed some snow off the wood surface, humming thoughtfully. “I highly doubt they could take too much with them on foot.” Too-Ticky nodded, headed to the wagon as well.

With some clearing of some snow, they could see that they left the wagon due to it breaking. They had the horse still so it likely wasn’t injured-- that explained some of the clearer prints left in the snow. Digging through the remaining supplies revealed some weapons they’d abandoned as well as some small bags of odds and ends. While they couldn’t find any major clues like a note or something of that caliber, there was a matchbook and cigars in a bag along with a shot glass and unlabeled liquor. The cigars weren’t too noteworthy, but the matchbook was. 

On the matchbook was a title. The print didn’t seem too old-- especially in comparison to the chipped and scuffed shot glass… Both items bore the same title: Holden Tavern and Inn. Too-Ticky put everything back into the bag and made sure it was closed. She handed the bag to the officer who would be headed back to Moominvalley.

“This could be useful.” She paused. “Since that storm is coming, we should set up a camp to wait it out. I’ll get started on that.” She stated before fixing her hat and trudging off to set something up. She found a spot that should be well sheltered and got to work. The officers kept searching around just in case.

In the distant dark forests that sat at the base of the mountains, a dim light could be seen, reflecting on the trees. The camp had been set and the party was resting and eating. Too-Ticky was watching the forest, though. She could hear the calls of the night-beasts… She relished winter’s night quite often but right now it was just nerve-wracking. The winds grew stronger as the storm fell over the party.

Too-Ticky sighed and sat down by their fire, shutting her eyes. Hopefully the officers in Adawood would be ready. Those hunters were a fair bit ahead of them now. She hoped that their recklessness wouldn’t risk their captives too much… Too-Ticky laid on her side, allowing sleep to overtake her. 

Sleep ever since this whole situation began was always restless and empty or full of nightmares. Too-Ticky found herself to be a victim of an all-too calm dream as the storm’s chill fell upon the sleeping search party. 

…

_ The day seemed plain enough at first… It was late winter or early spring-- perhaps in the middle, it seemed. Snow had been melting off the branches of the trees, causing the streams to run full of life and hope. Too-Ticky took a deep breath of the salty sea air. The ice around the bathhouse was breaking, though it wasn’t nearly warm enough to melt entirely. She gazed out at the trails of deep blue that tore through the pale, cold prison for a moment before sighing and lifting her rucksack. She’d be leaving here pretty soon, but she wanted to see the Moomins first before she left. Winter had been quite hard for everyone.  _

_ As she wandered along the sand and into the grass, she began to ponder. Would Mymble be staying for a bit to help Moominmamma prepare for spring? If that were the case, perhaps she should do the same… Moominmamma would surely appreciate as much help as she could get. Creeps around were waking from hibernation, clearing up their little gardens and burrows. Too-Ticky smiled a bit at a mother hedgehog clambering out of her burrow with a few of her children in tow. _

_ As she walked, she could see Snufkin sitting on the bridge to Moominhouse, his tent filling its usual place. He had his head propped up on his hands, staring off into the rushing water below. The house was all too calm for such a busy time of year… Snufkin peered up as he saw Too-Ticky approaching. He tried to smile in greeting but he was just far too tired for such things. Ever since Too-Ticky brought him and only him back to Moominvalley, the poor mumrik had been pushing himself far too hard. Even when his own heart was aching, he took it upon himself to help Moominmamma and to also keep the gravemarkers clear of snow.  _

_ It was an odd spectacle, almost entirely out of Snufkin’s nature. It was just a reminder, perhaps, of how the heart precedes nature. Too-Ticky offered him her hand wordlessly and he took it, allowing himself to get pulled up to his feet. He was still quite small, though now his cheek now bore a pale, jagged scar that traced along from his cheekbone to his jaw in a flicking motion. There was silence, but an understanding. The two both headed into Moominhouse, greeted with the smell of spring’s first breakfast. Too-Ticky reassuringly patted Snufkin’s shoulder and headed to the kitchen. Moominmamma, Mymble, and Little My had taken care of breakfast long before Too-Ticky even arrived at Moominhouse. _

_ “Hullo.” She greeted softly with a wave. Moominmamma smiled, though her body sagged with the pain of a grieving widow. Too-Ticky said nothing, instead stepping aside so Moominmamma may enter the dining room.  _

_ “I’m glad you can join us for breakfast, dear. I believe we’re just waiting on Sniff now…” Moominmamma hummed thoughtfully as she set down plates and her lovely mismatched silverware. Each chair had their own dining set-- not a single one was left out. The room wasn’t the cleanest as it still had dust in the corners left from, well, a lack of motivation, but the surfaces were still kept fairly clean. Snufkin was looking out the window in the other room. _

_ “I think that’s him on his way now.” Snufkin called from the den. Little My shifted her feet awkwardly, standing off to the side as her sister helped Moominmamma set out the food. My still felt odd about Sniff since she had run away from him before. Too-Ticky believed she’d never get used to seeing Little My like that… Not in one million years. _

_ Soon enough, the table was full. Moominmamma sat at the head of the table with Snufkin to her right and Mymble on her left. Little My was seated next to Snufkin and Too-Ticky next to Mymble. Sniff was seated across from Mamma. Breakfast had a slow and quiet start, but eventually conversation began about spring plans. _

_ “My mother should be coming up with Joxter, I think.” Mymble began, cutting her pancake daintily, glancing between her younger siblings. “In fact, I think every one of the crew from the Oshun Oxtra will be coming up for the memorial service now that winter has passed.” She ate for a moment and looked over at Moominmamma. “By the way, I just want to make sure that you know everyone will be here for you, right?” A moment of reflective silence followed before Too-Ticky tried to move things away from that. _

_ “Well, what do you think your plans for the season are? I’d love to help you garden and fix up anything that got broken during the winter.” Too-Ticky asked, giving Moominmamma a very genuine smile. She seemed to ponder that question before setting down her silverware and speaking. _

_ “I do think my first order of business will be starting the garden.” Moominmamma began. “I know the Hemulen has many wonderful flowers but I think it will just mean more to me if I grow my own.” Her face was unreadable as she spoke. “Their graves deserve that much from me…” She trailed off into the piercing silence. It hurt. The silence was louder than one thousand trumpets blaring into Too-Ticky’s ears. It surrounded her, it permeated her skin. It sucked all words and music from everyone’s hearts and left the ache of loss. Moominmamma noticed what she’d done and quickly moved on. “I do think it would be nice to start on some new hobby, perhaps… but I wouldn’t know what exactly.” She tried, but the silence took over still. _

_ Too-Ticky stared blankly at her plate. Eating was a disgusting thought to her at that moment. Moominmamma looked like a mess, wringing her paws together rather than eating. _

_ “I just don’t understand… you know, how things are meant to go now.” she quickly muttered. “With them gone… Oh, I think I’d rather die than have things go back to ‘normal’.” She spoke, voice becoming more and more hollow before it was lost to the silence entirely. Too-Ticky shut her eyes, taking a deep breath. She didn’t want to think about that. She knew there were better options than death-- Moominmamma just needed time and help… She would be willing to stay with her for as long as she was needed, even! Too-Ticky had been too lost in thought that she hardly noticed herself being pulled awake at that very moment. _

…

Too-Ticky grunted as she was woken up by one of the other members of her search party. The officer was nudging Too-Ticky’s shoulder, trying to talk to her.

“We should get moving soon… Aarne will be headed off back to the valley soon, too.” Too-Ticky nodded as she sat up. That… was a very uncomfortable dream. It felt so bizarrely real. She supposed maybe it was a plausible outcome She rubbed her forehead thoughtlessly and looked at the officers. 

“Alright then, let’s take down camp and head off.” Too-Ticky stated, pushing herself up and brushing herself free of any snow that decided to stick around. The dream was so fresh on her mind… It almost felt like foresight, honestly. She wouldn’t let such things happen, though. She’d make sure all three of the boys would make it home. Alive.

Before she got to work, Too-Ticky gazed back out to where the firelight had been glowing. She wondered if they’d started moving again… She should hurry if she wanted to catch up. Too-Ticky turned around and hastily got to work taking down the camp and making sure everything was set to go. She picked up her lantern from the thin snow and mud and checked over it all again. The darkness of winter was still everpresent. It made the whole trek seem obsolete sometimes. Aarne was taking up some supplies for his trek back to the valley. When he was ready, it was a silent parting, just a wave and the party went off in their separate ways.

The trip down the mountain was much easier for Too-Ticky and the remaining officers, their pace was much faster now, though Too-Ticky was wary about being reckless. What happened to that wagon could very well happen to someone’s leg… and you can’t just leave that someone behind. ...well, at least she’d think Moominvalley’s residents were far better than stooping that low.

As they descended towards the forests, the tracks in the snow continued to grow clearer. However, the trees shrouded the already dim light. Too-Ticky had to light her lantern. The darkest shadows were disrupted by the cries of some Groke, out there hunting. It sounded too far to be an immediate threat, but it was a valid reason to worry nonetheless. 

The plains past the forest should have a train stop… They might be trying to hop it when they get there. If that were the case, hopefully they could catch up before a train could pass through or at least Adawood’s police force would care about this whole thing in the first place. At least then, if they got to Adawood before them, the police could catch them before anything terrible happened.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit shorter, but things will be getting pretty intense in the next few chapters so... ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

Aarne wished he could walk faster, he honestly did… He sighed, mostly just staying observant of his environment as he made his way down the mountain and through the woods, back into the valley. Time was lost to him, for the most part. The darkness was persisting through the day-- for a few days, really. The snow was thick, climbing up his legs as he continued along what would have been hilly fields. He walked through his weariness and even walked while he ate, knowing that time was of the essence.

Very rarely did Moominvalley get met with such serious crime-- it mostly stayed in much bigger cities. Crime did give him work, gave him pay but he sure didn’t like the fact that it happened. They’d hear of many crimes at the station-- many awful things the people of Moominvalley could never imagine. The most they had was Stinky and, well, he was just a troublemaker. Aarne carried his lantern quietly, just watching for the lights of town. He would have been hibernating now so he just wasn’t used to seeing the valley like this. The snow had soaked all the way through his pant legs! 

Aarne made it into the more populated parts of Moominvalley eventually. The snow was still thick, but most people had the sense of mind to at least keep their porches clear if they weren’t hibernating by now. How someone could hibernate at a time like this anyways? He scanned the buildings, looking for the police station’s familiar facade in the darkness. The station, of course, had been cleared of snow up front. The outdoor light that hung from the hook by the door was lit as well. Aarne hobbled up onto the steps in front of the station, kicking the snow from his boots and legs. He felt numb all the way to his toes! He had hardly even noticed until he was hitting his toes against the wood. He groaned at the uncomfortable sensation. He needed to get inside as soon as possible. Without knocking, he quickly took hold of the door knob, turning it and pushed the old door open with ease, startling the inspector. The inspector had been perched in his chair, staring at his notepad, working through his thoughts.

“Oh!” The inspector exclaimed, tipping over in his chair. “Hullo there, Aarne, what’s brought you back so soon? I thought you had gone off with Too-Ticky and the others!” He said, standing up and rubbing where his back had hit the floor. “Did something happen?” The inspector asked after a moment. Aarne nodded.

“Nobody’s gotten hurt or anything like that, thank the Booble, but well… There’s been a revelation in the case and we’ve also found some evidence that might be useful.” He slid his pack down over his shoulder, setting the thing down on the inspector’s desk. He rapped his fingers against the old wood for a moment before looking up at the inspector. “I really do need to warm up though, I’ve been walking nonstop!” The inspector nodded.

“Of course, of course! You know where everything is.” He waved his hand at Aarne. “Just what kind of revelation have you all come across exactly? And how vital was it?” He looked over at Aarne, watching him hobbling over to the old building’s fireplace. He wasn’t exactly keen on digging through his coworker’s things to find the evidence-- after all, he didn’t know what he was looking for. Aarne sat and pulled off his boots and at them aside, taking a deep breath, letting tension ooze off of him. He glanced over his shoulder at the inspector.

“Well, their wagon broke down… Instead of staying to fix it, they’re moving by foot. They’ll get to Adawood much slower at that rate.” He explained and turned back to the fire, rubbing his cold hands together.. “The evidence was picked off what all they left behind. There should be a burlap bag in my pack. It has a shot glass and a matchbook in there that we think might be useful.” The inspector nodded and unbuttoned the bag’s top flap and shifted a few bits of trash Aarne had held on to from his trek. The inspector was quiet, but Aarne kept speaking. “Now, the shot glass looks a bit old. It’s got an engraving and a print on it-- both look pretty old. But the matchbook-- which has the same print, mind you-- in relatively much newer. Very few matches have been used and you know, the box hasn’t been torn up, really. I think that means that the tavern that the print is for might be a place frequented by at least one of the hunters. Since we know the hunters’ first names, if we can get in contact with the tavern, maybe we could get some more info on the bastards.” Aarne explained, looking at the fire for a moment.

The inspector found the bag in question relatively easily. The burlap stuck out from the stored away preserves that Aarne had been eating quite clearly. The inspector pulled the bag out, setting it on his desk. He walked around the desk and righted his chair, taking a seat and opening his notepad to add this information to it. He flipped to the page with all the bullet points he wished to discuss further with Adawood’s police department and added the new information with a star beside both points. The inspector leaned back-- more cautiously now and looked at Aarne.

“Anything else I should know about the wagon?”

Aarne perked up. “Yes! They did keep their horse with them, so I think they have Moomintroll on it-- so he doesn’t slow them down anymore than going on foot already does.” He explained, eyes still on the fire. He was quite exhausted. The inspector nodded thoughtfully.

“Well, whenever you’re ready, you can go ahead and get the rest you need.” He said, giving Aarne a weak smile. “Thank you for your help with this case.” Aarne nodded, slowly succumbing to the lull of sleep now that he was relaxed. The inspector picked up his notepad and headed over to where the station’s phone was hung. Phones weren’t all too common in the valley, but it was deemed important that the station have one. Communication was quite vital in the police’s work, and the inspector definitely appreciated having something more efficient than telegraphs. 

The inspector had wanted to call earlier but was honestly nervous about how he would be received. He wasn’t always the most competent-- yes he knew that-- but it still frustrated him to be treated like a fool sometimes. Especially if it was by other police stations. He rarely had major crimes to notify other stations of, usually it would be the other way around if anything. Originally he would just be calling to see if there was any news from the Adawood station’s end but this new information definitely gave him more reason to call. He took a deep breath and started to dial the operator.

The operator quite quickly and politely plugged the inspector through to Adawood’s police department. A woman picked up on Adawood’s end:

“Adawood police, what’s your emergency?” she asked firmly but calmly. 

"Thankfully no emergency today." the inspector began. "I have some new information on the kidnapping case from Moominvalley." The lady on the other end of the phone hummed in acknowledgement and shifted a few papers.

"Alright then, just a moment and I'll get you wired through to Detective Browley in just a moment." She said before tapping away at some keys. The inspector nodded despite no one seeing and leaned against the wall, waiting patiently. After a few seconds of waiting, he sat at his desk again, the phone’s wire stretched a bit. He should make sure the evidence was still in the bag before claiming to have evidence, after all. He pulled the drawstring pouch open, revealing the shot glass in question, wrapped up in some old newspaper. The matchbook was in there as well, along with a few other items. He hummed. Good.

“Detective Browley speaking.” The inspector was drawn out of his musings by the Adawood officer’s gruff voice.

“Yes, hello, detective!” He greeted, blinking back to the here and now. “I am the head of the Moominvalley branch of operations and I’m calling to inform you about some new information regarding the kidnapping of the Moomins.” He explained. 

“...Well..? Out with it man!” Browley grunted after a moment of silence.

“Oh, pardon! One of my officers who are in pursuit of the kidnappers came back this evening to inform us that the kidnappers are now traveling on foot. They found something that might be useful as well… give me a moment.” The inspector fumbled over himself a bit, nervous about what the detective might be thinking. He did his best to ignore the detective’s exasperated sigh as he looked over his notes.

It was hard for the inspector to make out whether Browley was listening all to seriously. Of course, with the distortion of the phone and the damned silence! (What the inspector would give for the valley to be full of life again!) The only sound he got were just noises of acknowledgement. Once the inspector was done, he still felt as though he wasn’t being taken entirely seriously.

Browley spoke, though. “Thank you, inspector. I’ll pass that down onto my subordinates and we’ll keep an eye out for those criminals you’re after.” A pause… “Have a good evening, sir.” Then it was just dead air. The inspector sighed, placing the phone back on its hook. That was what he didn’t like about phones. He couldn’t even try to read that detective’s face! It’s hard to understand silence without being able to see! Ah well, not much he could do about it... He supposed he would head to Moominhouse the next day and inform everyone of the new information. He had promised to keep them updated over there anyways. Moominmamma deserved to know what was going on with her own family… especially if it meant them having to wait even longer for them to return.


	23. Chapter 23

The days were wearing down on Moominpappa and the boys. Food resources were low for them and their captors as they made their way through the forest. Luckily, they still had Snufkin around. As they walked endlessly amongst trees and bushes, Snufkin tried to pick up bits of winter forage for his friends and himself. It wasn’t a lot, but it was better than going just off of whatever leftovers that Nels and Sneak had after they ate.

Since they weren’t going by wagon, Nels decided to lead them through lesser-known forest pathways to keep them out of view from any wanderer that may be passing through. Who would even go to the mountains at a time like this? Regardless they walked and walked. Moominpappa was exhausted most of the time now, as Nels insisted that they needed to keep on the move-- not even stopping to set up camp. The sight just about made Moomin feel guilty for being on the horse! Moomin’s body often ached to move but he knew he really couldn’t. What if he was going too slow and Nels decided to hurt Pappa or Snufkin for it?

Moomintroll shuddered and looked down at Sneak. The two of them had made conversation a lot, still. It was something to pass the time and Sneak had even noted that Moomin was starting to remind him of his daughter back home. Sneak had grown more quiet since then, probably thinking about his family. 

The silence that often fell gave Moomin far too much time to think about the most unsavory thoughts. Sometimes he pondered if he would hurt someone to keep his family safe and happy. It made him feel terrible. Surely there were times when he would fight for Snorkmaiden… Like with that jerk from the Rivera and that plant monster, Snorkmaiden had been in danger then! Those were different situations because she was in danger! To hurt some innocent person who had done nothing to him? He didn’t think he could.

Moomin was absentmindedly petting the horse-- he didn’t even notice how the spaces between the trees grew longer and the dim light grew somewhat brighter. It wasn’t until they were out in the grasslands that Moomintroll had realized they had left the forest. Silently, hope bubbled up in his chest. They were pretty much out in the open now… If only someone would see them and know something was wrong.

Turning back, Moomin could see that the Lonely Mountain only grew more and more distant… It gripped his heart. Even if they did get out, they wouldn’t be home for some time. Moomin slumped slightly. He just wanted to be held by Moominmamma again. She must’ve been so terribly alone in Moominhouse. He felt his eyes well up, a twinge of guilt filling his chest. They all would have gotten home by now if he hadn’t fallen on that stupid hill!

The grass, its blades frosted delicately, crunched under Nels’ boots as he led his quarry alongside the path. 

“Now, there’s a stop for the steam engine up ahead. We might make it there sooner if we don’t stop tonight. I don’t know when the next train will be stopping for water there but we might as well give it all a shot, then we’ll stow away back to Adawood. Then I’ll never have to look at any of you again!” He chuckled, crossing his arms as they went. Silence followed, which appeared to be annoying Nels. However, the man did nothing about it.

A water tower could be seen breaking the horizon-- it was the train stop. An old shack stood by the tower, likely someone there to do tune-ups. 

“The guy here should be able to tell us when the next train comes through.” He claimed, looking back at the folks behind him. They were all sagging, exhausted from walking. Even the horse’s grand head was swaying as it trotted alongside its master. Snufkin was faster than Moominpappa, even though the both of them were weary from the journey. Regardless, the whole lot of beasts were just unbearable to Nels. “Man up, ya pansies. It’s not that far.” He hissed, cocking an eyebrow. He was taunting them. Snufkin didn’t get why Nels was like that. Beyond just being a terrible human being, Snufkin couldn’t help but feel that Nels liked to single him out. Snufkin had done nothing but help the lot of them survive and yet he was still treated like a burden. Why, he was certain Nels would have froze to death on the mountain if it wasn’t for him!

Snufkin shook his thoughts away and shifted the Sneak’s jacket on his shoulders, hoping to warm his exposed flesh a little more. Moominpappa stood right at the boy’s side, a paw resting on his shoulder. Snufkin had always found Moominpappa’s flaws a bit… overwhelming at times. Regardless of that, however, the moomin was very much a good person still. This forsaken journey did loads to prove that yet again. The two looked up at the building as they drew closer. It was a good distance from the train tracks, yet close enough for whoever lived there to do their work in a timely manner.

They went right up to the door of the little shack. It looked like the old thing was shaken up by the railroad’s rattling for many, many years. The patio’s columns appeared to have twisted under the weight of the building’s roof. Nels seemingly wasn’t afraid of what the resident would care about him arriving with three obvious captives in tow. It was worrying to say the least. Nels knocked loudly on the door and leaned on a column.

After a moment, a haggard old fuzzy came to the door, peering out. The beast’s eyes glinted in the dim light outside. Nels shot the old beast a grin, spreading his arms as if he were greeting a long lost brother or the like.

“Ashpan, old friend!” Nels greeted. The fuzzy pulled the door open further, the beast’s scarred and thinning fur fully visible. The beast certainly seemed to have seen better days from the looks of it. When the fuzzy-- apparently named Ashpan of all things-- spoke, his voice was much smoother than his outward appearance.

“Lovely to see you, Nels.” He hummed. “How’s business?” Ashpan really was a small fellow, barely even taller than Nels’ belt. He smiled a gap-tooth smile up at Nels. Nels stood upright nodding over his shoulder. 

“Took a bit of a different job this time-- I saw McCapherson’s listing and couldn’t help myself. Not every day you get to work for a celebrity. Could be good for my resume, you know?

“I hear you, friend, I do… but McCapherson’s job? Well, well I’d say that is different.” He stepped out onto the porch fully and shut the door. “She was the one who wanted some moomin fur coat, yea?” Ashpan looked past Nels and at Moominpappa. “Mmm.. Strange woman, she is. Fur coats ain’t worth anything if you ask me but, well, suppose everybody’s gotta make a living.” Nels nodded.

“I won’t take another job like this again. Easier to kill than to take in live prey, you know?” Nels spoke of killing so nonchalantly. His body was completely relaxed. It was infuriating to Moomintroll. He’d read stories of villains like that but those were stories! How could a real person talk like that? Ashpan nodded, leaning his back against the door jamb. 

“Usually a hunting or trapping job means you kill and skin the beast yourself but that McCapherson is one crazy bitch.” The fuzzy noted, scratching his muzzle. “Well, anyways, what brings you here?”

“Hoping to catch the next train so we can hop off at Adawood.” Nels explained, moving to stand by the steps so he could comfortably watch both Ashpan and the others. “Know when the next one’s due?” He asked, leaning on the porch railing. Ashpan nodded almost without thinking, his left hind paw thumping on the floor. 

“Tomorrow. Dawn. They like getting supplies in just before the workday starts for the factory workers-- that way nobody steals anything. You can camp out here, I don’t mind none.” He offered. “Night trains might wake you up.” Ashpan continued, squinting at the sky after a moment..” 

“Thanks, my friend.” Nels nodded and stepped back off the porch. He looked at Sneak as he headed back to where everyone was standing. “Start setting up camp.” He ordered. Sneak didn’t argue, simply leading the horse off to a suitable spot. Nels soon turned to Moominpappa and Snufkin, scanning them quietly for a moment. “Now, I’ll need to have a word with you here pretty soon.” He drawled, a malicious glint in his eyes. Moominpappa glared up at Nels. 

“Whatever you want to say, you can say it now.” He huffed, tail flicking with agitation. Snufkin felt a lump forming in his throat. He didn’t want to show that he was growing scared, but he couldn’t help it! Nels stepped even closer to the two, staring them down. There was not an ounce of hesitance about him as he began to speak, eyes boring into Pappa’s eyes.

“It’s the end of the line for your little mumrik kid, here. … I’ll be nice and just say, well, you’d better have your goodbyes taken care of before dawn.” Nels explained, voice quiet yet terrifying. Moominpappa’s eyes widened and he shuffled back, away from the man.

“You haven’t got a reason to kill him, he’s just a boy!” He tried, the creases in his face growing stronger by the second. “And you said yourself he’d live if we did as you said-- and we have!” He glanced cautiously back at Snufkin. That was his friend’s son. He wouldn’t just let him get killed. He owed it to everyone to keep those damn boys safe.

Nels jabbed at Moominpappa, drawing the moomin’s eyes back to his own “Now, now... I can’t have the kid telling anybody about this… I let him live long enough, you goddamned overglorified hippo, and if you’re just gonna get in the way tomorrow, well, who ever really needed goodbyes?” Nels tried to reach past Moominpappa to grab at Snufkin. Pappa tried his best to slap Nels’ arm away but he was easily shoved aside in his exhausted and underfed state. He fell hard to the ground with an unceremonious ‘oof.’ Moominpappa was quick to try and push himself back up, but a burning pain in his arm stopped him. He didn’t want to just watch someone so close to his family get murdered. He didn’t want his  _ son _ to see it! He shoved himself up, swaying on his feet a bit.

Snufkin stepped back quickly. He was more agile than Nels, but he knew he would be too weak to fight back for long. The scuffle had easily gained the attention of all the others, including Ashpan who was now seated in a chair, watching intently. Snufkin huffed. Of course he wasn’t doing anything to help… Why was the world just against him? Snufkin’s eyes were locked on Nels, watching him drawing his knife from his boot. Sneak paused his work.

“Nels, cut that out. He isn’t doing any harm!” He snapped, looking over at Nels. Nels, of course, ignored his partner, lunging and grabbing Snufkin by the collar. Snufkin’s world whirled in a mix of terror and colors. Blood was pounding in his ears. He grabbed Nels’ hand, trying to yank himself free but he felt a harsh blow against his head. He kept fighting, his nails digging into Nels’ hand. Nels kept hitting him over and over to make him stop but Snufkin just couldn’t. He could hear Moomin and Moominpappa… They were saying things but his mind couldn’t put any of it together.

When he finally stopped fighting, he could see just how close Nels was-- just how close the knife was! Nels smirked a bit, seemingly enjoying the fear in Snufkin’s eyes. Nels pressed the blade against his cheekbone, digging the sharp edge in ever so slightly.

Ashpan’s voice rang out, but Snufkin hardly even registered it. “Don’t you go killin on my land, friend! I ain’t hiding your bodies. I may have been a crook in my younger years, but I ain’t taking the fall for your bullshit!” Nels chuckled dryly and shook his head before turning back to look at Snufkin, eyes hardening into a cruel glare.

“I ain’t bluffing when I say you’re dying tomorrow, kid.” He growled, voice low. He slid the blade along the shape of his face. Everything around them was quiet, as if the whole world froze just then. Snufkin’s teeth were gritted tight, warm blood slipping down his cheek. It was over in a blink. Snufkin had been dropped, lying on his back in the dirt. He sat there, just breathing through his shock. His mind tuned everything out without a second thought. 

He reached up, tentatively feeling how the blade had cut along his cheekbone to his jaw. It only took a moment for the pain to set in and he quickly jerked his hand away from his face. It stung like the devil! Snufkin laid there for a moment before raising his hand over his face, leaving him to stare at the blood on his fingers.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> weird chappy oop, glad to see everyone is enjoying this whole thing, though!! <3

“Snufkin!” Moomintroll cried, eyes wide. He tried to get off the horse properly but he ended up just slipping onto the hard earth. A terrible pain shot through his back. Dang it all, why did he have to be so useless! Moomin blinked back tears of pain as he forced himself up. His ankle, of course, fought against him, making him stumble along the frozen earth. When he made it to Snufkin, Moominpappa was already there, checking on him. Nels had wandered off to cool down, luckily… Moomin practically fell into a sitting position, ears low.

Snufkin was gripping his chest with his non-bloodied hand while Moominpappa helped him up. Sneak had set off to busy himself with setting up camp, uncomfortable with the situation. Only that damned Ashpan was watching. Snufkin’s eyes flicked to Moomin, still wide in his shock and fear. Moominpappa asked Snufkin quietly if he could take a look at the cut. Snufkin nodded, finally allowing himself to loosen his grip. Moomin quickly took the advantage to grab onto Snufkin’s hand.

“Y-you…” He began before trailing off. Moomin’s shoulders tensed, drawing themselves into his center. “I won’t ever let anybody kill you.” He managed. The word still felt so foreign on his own lips. Moomin shuddered a bit. He kept saying things like that. ‘I won’t let them kill you’. It didn’t matter whether he said it out loud or not. He’s at least thought it about everyone in his life at this point! But that didn’t mean that when he said it now, it didn’t have any meaning. 

Snufkin’s whole body twitched, wanting to just hold onto his friend, but he stayed still so that Pappa could look at the cut. Pappa was about to wipe the blood away when a glass was held out to him. Ashpan was holding it, a deadpan look on his face.

“Here. Rinse it.” He grunted. Pappa had been so focused on the boys that he hadn’t even noticed Ashpan going inside! Pappa hesitated but took the water and used it to rinse the blood away from Snufkin’s cheek. Ashpan watched, waiting to get his glass back. His left paw thumped on the dead grass. “Mumrik.” He hummed. “You better not get your ass killed on my land.” He stated plainly before taking his glass and heading back into his little home. Snufkin turned his gaze after the fuzzy, hand squeezing Moomin’s paw mindlessly. His brain was too frazzled to put anything together, really. He just knew that he was far too close to death for his liking. Moominpappa sat back.

“The cut doesn’t look too bad, thank goodness.” He sighed. He glanced anxiously off after where Nels had gone. “I’m afraid I don’t know what we can do about that man, though… Perhaps…” He paused, rubbing his chin as he thought. 

“Unless I try to run.” Snufkin slumped slightly, still trembling. 

Moomin shifted his hold on Snufkin’s hand, tail sweeping against the dirt and grass. “If you need to run, please run.” He whispered, voice laced with worry.

“I didn’t run then and I won’t run now.” Snufkin stated, staring at his lap. He felt like a damned hypocrite. He told Moominmamma to run. Why couldn’t he run too? If he ran, he could get help! He still just didn’t want to leave his friends to just die alone.

“Think about yourself for one minute..!” Moomin pleaded, almost as if he had read Snufkin’s mind. Moominpappa nodded, moving his paw to rest on Snufkin’s shoulder.

“Moomin is right. If there’s a chance for one of us to get out of this, we need to take it.” He said, trying to sound firm on that belief, but even Moomin could hear the doubt in his pappa's voice. “Please.” He added, trying to reason with the boy. Pappa’s body unconsciously began to curl in on itself, his heart breaking quietly. “I don’t want Moominmamma to be alone.” He murmured softly, large tears slipping past his lashes and down his cheeks. 

Snufkin turned his head to look at the elder moomin. This was the most vulnerable he ever remembered seeing the man… Snufkin almost wanted to say he’d run. He almost wanted to say he could make it home and see his sisters or even just the valley one more time. He wiped tears from his eyes with the heel of his palm as they formed.

“I won’t make it to the valley, Pappa.” He said softly. He knew it was unlikely that he would survive without anything to help him do so. He was usually far south by now with enough supplies to last him until he could stop at the next town. Crossing the mountains without anything but the jacket on his back was practically suicide. “I’d rather die among friends than having starved alone.” He stated, trying to hide the wavering in his voice. Trying to hide it just made even harder to do so. Snufkin’s chest felt like it would burst! 

He held onto himself for a moment, paws gripping tightly to his arms as his leg twitched idly. Snufkin took a few deep, shuddering breaths before he relented and threw his arms around Moomin, pressing his face into his fur. 

“I don’t want to die.” Snufkin’s voice broke. “But there’s no way around that now.” Moomin squeaked a bit, looking down at his friend for a moment before drawing him close. Snufkin shook terribly in Moomin’s arms, letting all of his emotions rush through him. He could feel Moominpappa’s paw resting on his back, patting him reassuringly. Snufkin shut his eyes tightly. He didn’t deserve the moomins. 

They sat like that for a moment. Snufkin let himself relax in Moomintroll’s arms until Sneak came over, informing them that the camp was set up. Moominpappa looked at his boys, not speaking for a moment. He didn’t want to bother them but…

“He said we have until dawn.” Pappa said, sitting back. “If you two want to speak alone, I understand.” He looked at the sky. He wished the damn winter would let him see the sun. At least then they could know how much longer they had… Those kids were some of the closest friends he’d seen. Moominpappa shut his eyes. He had to think of something to get the kids out of this still. He’d put it off long enough! No kid deserved to die young. 

Moomin pulled back so he could see Snufkin. “D-do you want to talk..? I mean, I always wanted to go south with you for winter! We… we could talk about what we could have done…” He tried. He just wanted to talk to Snufkin. He wanted to hear his friend talk about the things he liked and all… Snufkin nodded mutely after a moment of thought. Moominpappa stepped away so they could have some space but he could still keep an eye on them. 

Snufkin sat back on his heels, face flushing in embarrassment when he saw the blood he’d gotten in Moomin’s fur. He shuddered. His face was probably smeared with blood at this point too… 

“I’m sorry.” He muttered softly. Moomin blinked in confusion before noticing the red splotch that marred his white fur. He turned back to Snufkin, shaking his head vehemently. 

“No! No, it’s okay, really. You didn’t do anything wrong.” He quickly reassured. “Please, I still wanna talk.” 

Snufkin smiled sadly. “You really are a remarkable moomin.” He all but whispered and sat back, leaning on his palms. He thought for a moment, eyes shut. “Well,” He spoke louder now. “If we went south together one year, I think I’d show you all my favorite places. Of course none of them compare to Moominvalley, but there’s many wonderful sights in the world. I’d like to show them to you. All of them.” Snufkin let himself speak freely. If he was to die, he might as well. He gave up on meticulously dancing around what he felt. If what he said would ruin things, he wouldn’t have to deal with the repercussions for long. He took a deep breath, opening his eyes. Moomin seemed a bit flustered-- the tips of his ears were pink.. “Moomin? Are you cold?” He asked.

Moomin only grew more flustered at his words. “No, no, I’m alright!” He gave Snufkin a small smile. “I’d love to go with you.” The two looked at each other in a moment of silence. Moomin took hold of his tail, fiddling with it. Talking like this wasn’t really helping at all. He wanted to experience it! The familiar longing that he had felt for years began to ache in his chest. He sniffled, tearing up. “I don’t want you to go at all…”

Snufkin stared at Moomin for what felt like… well, far too long! It almost felt like they were on the bridge, saying goodbye for the winter. But now, they really would be parting ways forever. Snufkin shook his head, trying to reassure Moomin with a smile. 

“I won’t go-- not yet. We still have tonight.” Snufkin shuffled closer. “I don’t want to- to die either. I don’t want you or Moominpappa or Mamma to so much as get hurt! But… it is what it is now. Life just… decided to be like this. I can’t control how people are, but I wish I could. We can only control ourselves.” Snufkin took a deep breath and shifted his gaze to the sky. “I’m sorry, I don’t… I don't like talking without thinking. I’m sorry.”

They were pulled out of their conversation by Nels being a loud, furious mess by the cooking fire. He and Sneak were arguing about something or other as the two were preparing their meal. Snufkin shrank into the jacket slightly, watching carefully. It almost felt like any bit of anger about that man would lead to his death! Moomin drew his arm around Snufkin rather protectively, ears shifting to hear what the conversation was better.

Of course, Moomin couldn’t make out much, but by the sound of it, it was about Snufkin. Moomin huffed.

“Well, I don’t care what that bully thinks.” He muttered and looked at Snufkin. “Let’s just try and ignore them. I think we’re all just tired of it.” Snufkin nodded, looking over to Moominpappa. Pappa was still keeping an eye on them... Snufkin didn’t blame him at this point. 

The two went about their conversations, both worrying less and less about what they were saying. They entertained themselves with their dreams and hypotheticals, sitting shoulder to shoulder in the winter air. They kept on talking until they saw Nels approaching Moominpappa with a plate of leftovers. Not unusual but… Nels said something.

“You know the drill by now.” Nels paused and looked at the boys before turning back to Moominpappa. “No point in feeding that vagrant son-of-a-bitch. He’s already dead anyways.” He added, patting Pappa on the shoulder with a grin before heading back to the campfire. Moominpappa glared after him and huffed before heading over to the boys and sitting down beside them. As per usual, Moominpappa waited for the boys to eat first. The trio ignored all of what Nels had said. They just didn’t care.

Stars began to peek through the cloud cover as soon as they were done eating. Snufkin drank the sight in, the others at his side. Moomin quietly wondered how much time they had. Their captors had settled into their usual sleeping arrangements. Moominpappa had dozed off right there. Moomin laid down, nestled against his father, but he kept watching Snufkin. Even when it was too dark to really see, he watched the shadowy silhouette. Soon enough, Snufkin laid down beside Moomin, placing his hand over Moomin’s paw.

“Come what may.” He whispered, eyes still searching the stars. 

“Come what may.” Moomin nodded, leaning his head against Snufkin’s. He gazed up at the drifting clouds with his dearest. He was thinking rather deeply. If their final goodbye really was so soon, he ought to get some things off his chest. He glanced back at Moominpappa and, upon finding that he was sound asleep, Moomin nudged Snufkin’s shoulder with his own. “Snufkin?” He asked, looking for the moon as a way to distract him from his doubts.

Snufkin looked at Moomin from the corner of his eyes. “Moomintroll?” 

“If we really do have to say goodbye soon, I’d like to tell you something.” the troll explained softly, hesitating and looking over at the dying fire that Nels was seated by, watching them like a hawk. Snufkin hummed, prompting Moomin to continue. Moomin lowered his voice, worried that maybe Nels would hear or something. Nevertheless, it seemed like something far too private to announce for the whole world. “Well, it’s strange. You better not tease me for it.” He prefaced, growing worried of what Snufkin might say before continuing to speak.

“I quite like you. Like… Like how I like Snorkmaiden. Like.. Love.” Moomin rubbed his paws over his flushed face with a groan. “How many times can I say like in a sentence?!”

“Five apparently.” Snufkin chuckled a bit. “I’m glad you’ve told me, Moomin. The Booble himself knows I would have never gathered up the courage to tell you.” Moomin smiled back a bit.

“Come on, we both know you’re far more brave than me, Snufkin.” Moomin shook his head playfully, the moon finally peering out from the clouds. The moonlight shimmered in Moomin’s eyes. A spark of hope and happiness in the dark, cold night. Moomintroll hugged Snufkin again, holding his friend close to his chest. And there they slept, holding each other quietly. A pair of kids just barely teetering on the edge of their demise.


	25. Chapter 25

Dawn came, rushing over the camp without warning. Snufkin woke first. He could see the train coming along the rails. Snufkin stared at it, eyes wide as fear snuck back up around him. He shook his head slowly, becoming faster and more desperate as the metal beast roared towards the little shack. It shook the earth a fury. As the harbinger of death drew closer, Moomintroll and Moominpappa were pulled out of their slumber. Ashpan stood on his porch, watching the train come in. 

Moomin pressed against his Pappa and Snufkin as Nels and Sneak took down their camp. The train came to a halt, brakes screeching. They all had to cover their ears at that moment. Ashpan was fine, though, stepping off his porch.

“Might take a little bit until it’ll be moving again.” He called over the rush of steam that escaped the train before heading to the water tower. The train’s workers climbed out and they went about checking things on the engine. Distracted enough for Nels to get them on one of the later cars. Sneak was trying to wrangle his horse now-- the poor thing was spooked by all the noise… But Nels was ready to load up his quarry. He approached Pappa and the boys, armed preemptively. Moomin was intimidated at the sight. 

Nels stepped right in front of the kid, gesturing with his rifle. “Get up, you lot.” Moominpappa was up despite his body’s complaining and helped his son up as well, letting the boy lean on him. Snufkin hung close to them, eying Nels cautiously.

“You know you can’t shoot anyone… not with those men from the train running about.” Snufkin said, a slight smug air about his words. Nels didn’t reply, instead pointed towards one of the train cars. 

“Move. Now.” He ordered. Of course, the three still felt like they had to comply. What if Nels didn’t care about having so many witnesses? What if those witnesses wouldn’t care about seeing someone get shot? Snufkin gazed back at the trees for another look at his lovely mountain, but a bright color advancing along the dirt road caught his eye. They were still a good ways away, but his eyes couldn’t possibly be mistaken. Too-Ticky... Snufkin took hold of Moomin’s hand but said nothing. This could be their last shot. After all, Ashpan had said that the train might not depart for a good while!

The three were marched along the railroad tracks with Nels looming behind them and the metal beast looming above them. The smell of the burnt coal was powerful, lingering in the air as they found an unlocked car. It was a bit of a hop up there, so Snufkin climbed up first before helping Moomin and Moominpappa up. Snufkin kept his knowledge to himself, simply watching Sneak attempting to calm his horse. They’d probably be leaving the poor thing behind. Snufkin felt Moomin resting against him. Right. He’d be dead soon if nothing happened. He slumped a bit, turning his gaze to his hands.

Minutes passed. Even when Sneak was loaded up, the train had yet to start up again… something or other about the boiler was the reason Nels was given by Ashpan. Each minute brought hope closer. Snufkin did his best to keep his glances towards Too-Ticky and her band of police officers discreet. Snufkin was growing more and more anxious, though. Once he deemed them close enough and Nels’ attention was elsewhere, he waved from their car. Moomin peered at Snufkin, confused, before quietly following his gaze.

Moomin’s heart jumped up into his throat. They were so close! A small smile played at his lips. The moment was interrupted, however, when the train’s whistle blew, causing everyone to jump. They’d be moving soon… Sneak had seen the approaching police a while ago but said nothing about it, it was just when Nels noticed that there was a problem. Too-Ticky and the police were catching up fairly quickly. He stood up, bracing himself on the door as the train’s brakes jerked free. In a sleek movement, his knife was drawn.

“Looks like Ashpan’s gonna have to deal with a dead body after all!” Nels grunted, grabbing Snufkin by the hair. “Sorry old friend, looks like I’m running outta options.” Nels hissed, looking down at the boy. Snufkin yelped, wincing at the sharp pain the shot through his scalp. Instinctively, he grabbed Nels’ hand. 

“N-no!” He exclaimed, writhing to get free. “Moomin!” His eyes stung with tears.

Moomin jerked upright. “Stop! Please don’t!” He tried to grab Nels to stop him, but he was elbowed right in the snout with an audible crunch. Moomin let out a cry, paws going to his nose in an instant. He was bleeding..! Moominpappa quickly went to his son’s side, ears lying flat against his skull.

“Moomin! Are you alright?” He asked, trying to help Moomin sit up. Moomin gently pushed away his Pappa’s paws. 

“Y-yes! Please, I don’t need help..!” He whined desperately. “Help Snufkin!” Moomin clutched his nose again. Moominpappa turned his gaze back to Nels. Nels was holding Snufkin halfway out of the car by his shirt. The boy’s heels were pressed against the car’s floor, desperately trying to get back on. Nels pressed his knife to Snufkin’s neck, making eye contact with Too-Ticky. A quiet warning.

Everyone could hear her shout over the sound of the wheels-- metal on metal. “You let him go!” She snapped, running to catch up with the slow chugging movement of the train. Sneak moved slowly, only Moominpappa noticing the lithe fellow slink toward Nels. The train was taking its sweet time to speed up, thankfully… Sneak stopped behind Nels.

“Nels, you stop right now or I swear to god…” Nels glanced up and over his shoulder.

“Or what? You’ve always been a--” Nels was cut off. Snufkin had taken the distraction as a chance to kick Nels’ arm-- the one holding the knife.. Nels cursed and reached for his rifle. Snufkin tumbled to the gravel. It was a good thing the train was moving so slowly… He only had a few scrapes. Still he rolled onto his side, wincing at the pain. Too-Ticky had stopped to help Snufkin up, but those police officers were on them now, armed better now than they had been before… “Back the fuck off!” Nels shouted, raising his rifle. He’d close the door as soon as those cops got their damn guns off him!

The knife had skittered over to Moomin’s feet soon after it was knocked from Nels’ hand. He stared for a moment. He could do something… but it might be stupid. He took hold of the knife, gripping it tightly in his shaky paw. Nels had hurt Snufkin, so Moomin had to be brave. He was about to stand, but Moominpappa took hold of Moomin’s arm, looking at him worriedly.

“Moomin, no. You’re hurt.” He warned softly, pulling him to sit on the floor once more. “I know you mean well but--”

“Pappa please..!” Moomin whispered, looking up at Moominpappa. The older moomin hesitated, staring at Moomin’s face, before holding out his paw.

“Let me. You can’t walk with that ankle… You’d just get yourself hurt.” He demanded, eyes soft with pain and worry. Moomin hesitated but handed the knife to his pappa. Moominpappa put his arm around the boy. “I’ll fix everything, my boy, I promise.” Pappa nuzzled his son before he released him, then standing up slowly as to not alert Nels. Moomin hugged his tail tightly, terribly worried. He kept his eyes locked on his father as he slunk forward. The train kept growing faster and faster, the rough swaying movement forcing Moominpappa to walk very carefully as to not fall. Pappa could see just how far the police officers were growing from his angle. He had to act now. 

Suddenly the first shot was fired. It devolved quickly into a shootout. Stray bullets that missed were ricocheting against the car with loud pangs. Moominpappa looked at Moomin one more time before he made his decision. The child was curled in on himself, paws covering his head. Pappa took a deep breath before charging ahead at Nels, slamming into the man’s back. The force practically slammed the knife into Nels’ shoulder. With a terrible wail, the two fell out of the train.

Moominpappa and Nels tumbled across the hard, frozen earth together. The speed of the train caused great pain… how did the folks running the train not notice any of this?? That was the only thought that ran through his mind-- well, aside from the fact that it felt that it felt like he was dying. He released Nels at some point, coming to a halt in some grass. He wanted to pass out… desperately. But he couldn’t yet. He shoved himself up, body aching and head pounding. The train was going far too fast now. They couldn’t keep pace.

Moominpappa looked back towards the police and Too-Ticky. The police had pinned Nels into the grass, thank the Booble. Moominpappa stumbled forward a bit, his ribs aching. Too-Ticky was checking Snufkin over, talking to him. Snufkin saw Pappa there, eyes widening. He ran over on wobbly legs.

“Moominpappa! What happened?!” He asked. The moomin was bleeding, swaying where he stood. Too-Ticky followed Snufkin, warning him to be careful. 

Moominpappa took hold of Snufkin’s shoulder. “We need to follow the train.” He said between deep, shuddering breaths. “Moomin is still on there.”

Too-Ticky looked between the two before nodding. “It’ll be faster to get you some medical attention if we just go to Adawood.. Are you sure you can make it, though?” She asked Moominpappa, eyeing his injuries.

“I have to make it.” Pappa snapped at her before holding his face. “‘M sorry. I just need to…” He looked at Too-Ticky, eyes looking tired and pained. Too-Ticky nodded. They didn't really have time to wait around...

“Alright then. If you need help, just ask.” She headed along the tracks, watching both the cars passing and the police leading Nels back towards them. Snufkin silently shifted behind Moominpappa, grabbing on like a scared child-- which he was, the moomin supposed, taking a deep breath of the crisp winter air. Pappa calmly placed his arm around Snufkin. He could feel the tension in Snufkin’s muscles. Like a cat backed into a corner… 

Nels was cursing, blood running down his forehead. Moominpappa glared immediately at the man. One of the police officers nodded to Too-Ticky.

“We’ll be taking this guy to the PD in Adawood.” She nodded back, allowing silence to fall as they followed the tracks. Snufkin was relieved that Moomin was with Sneak instead of Nels now. Sneak was far less likely to… well, turn in Moomin for a bounty. At least he was alive. Of course, only he and Moominpappa knew of the possibility… but he just didn’t want to speak anymore. As soon as he’d seen Nels coming closer, it felt like he had a grip on his throat again. He didn’t fully understand it, but it was almost as if he could feel the blade pressed against his neck. He could feel the way it was nicking his skin. He quickly rubbed the spot as if it would make the feeling go away but that simply wasn’t the case. He certainly hoped it wouldn’t be a regular occurence. 

Too-Ticky had to admit: as soon as she’d seen the cut on Snufkin’s cheek, her blood ran cold. It was too close to the one in her dream. Now, she didn’t want to think that dream was a vision, she really didn’t. Of course, she was still the superstitious type. Sure they had one of the criminals, but Moomin was still stuck with the other one; with Moominpappa’s current state… Well, she’d have to keep an eye on him just in case. The train would arrive in Adawood at least a whole day before they would… Depending on how Moominpappa held up. They had to make it. She just wouldn’t let that dream come to pass.

The train kept building speed, soon passing the group entirely. It was weird to think that, maybe those people were way more focused on getting to their stop on time than whatever was raising hell way back in one of the many train cars. Too-Ticky watched the steam that billowed out of the machine-- the way it became fainter and fainter as it went further and further. Snufkin was still pressed against Moominpappa, his knees and hands still stung, but Nels’ presence was far more intimidating to him than any old scrape. He hoped the man stayed quiet. He didn’t want to deal with being taunted on the trek to Adawood...


	26. Chapter 26

Sneak and Moomin were sitting, still stuck in shocked silence. They both were staring out the door, watching the scenery zipping by. Moominpappa and Nels just fell out of the train. It was moving faster and had more force behind it than with Snufkin… and they couldn’t see how that turned out! The white lump that was Moominpappa had soon vanished into the sea of hills as the train chugged along. Slowly and quietly, Moomin finally spoke. His chest felt tight. 

“Pappa…” He whispered, trembling. Sneak turned around to face the boy, a lump forming in his throat.

“Hey kid, breathe okay? I’m sure he’ll be fine.” He tried to reassure, even though his own tail was frizzed out. Moomin slumped in on himself. Pappa had done that for him--  _ because _ of him! He might’ve died! And… and what if it was for nothing? Moomin wiped at his eyes, ears drooping. He should’ve been the one. He should have fought; it was his idea, anyways. Moomin slunk back to the far wall, feeling colder than ever now. He curled away so Sneak wouldn’t see his face. He was scared, of course, even more so since he was alone.

Sneak decided not to push it, simply trying to relax a bit now. He needed a moment to breathe too. He could have easily gotten hit by a bullet back then-- so could the kid. Sneak felt the weight of his revolver hanging on his belt. Fuck. He was a mess. He pulled the holster off and dropped it, sitting against a crate. He meant to make a quick buck and here he was, worse off than he had been earlier! No horse, no wagon… And he wasn’t about to hand the kid to McCapherson. He should have known he couldn’t do this before he signed on for the job. 

Sneak looked over at Moomin, frowning. The kid might have just lost his damn father! He’d hate it if his own daughter had lost her's. Sneak took a deep breath. Yeah. He ought to take the kid to the cops… but then what? He’d be locked up for it! Yes, he deserved it, but his family still needed him! He’d wait with the kid… until his friends caught up. No. Still weird. He needed to go home and he couldn’t take Moomin with him.

An idea suddenly struck him. His friends weren’t always the best folks, but if he knew somebody dependable… Perhaps he could leave the kid with them? It was likely his best bet. Sneak turned his eyes to gaze out at the world just ahead of him. It wouldn’t be a long trip… He ought to just relax for now.

Moomin laid there in silence with his eyes shut tight. He  _ was  _ trying to daydream, well, to try and imagine Moominmamma. He absolutely needed her right then. He needed a hug and comforting words more than anything. In his attempt to imagine, he began to doze. He hadn’t really noticed how exhausted he was until he was already half-asleep! 

He slept through the whole train ride, hugging his tail close to his chest. It was a relief to him, really. It was better to be asleep than to worry, he supposed. However, it had to come to an end. The train’s brakes screeched as the train pulled into the station, waking Moomin almost instantly. Sneak nudged the kid with his foot.

“Come on, kiddo. You should probably get off the train with me.” He said before sliding out the train car’s door, landing on the gravel below. The beast stretched and shook his fur out before turning to wait for Moomin. Moomin sat up slowly, looking at Sneak for a moment before looking to his ankle. Oh boy… that would be interesting. Sneak, of course, noticed how the kid hesitated and tried to reassure him. “Hey, I’ll help you get down, just try and get yourself over here, yeah?” Moomin nodded and pushed himself along, shuffling to the edge of the rough wooden flooring. It wasn’t exactly comfortable but… it was what it was. Sneak helped him down so his bad ankle wouldn’t make too hard of an impact with the ground. Moomin looked up at the older creature, his tail lashing.

“So..?” Moomin asked.

Sneak gave him an odd look. “So?” He paused. “Oh! Yes, no… sorry. Well, I’m going to take you somewhere safe until your friends get here.” Sneak explained, waving the concerns off the best he could before leading Moomin between the train cars, towards a loading dock. Moomin was a bit slow but he didn’t seem to mind so much. Moomin wasn’t comfortable with this guy helping him around so much, especially after all of that, but he didn’t have any options.

“You’re not going to..?” He trailed off, not wanting to say the words out loud.

“Of course not! Look, I ain’t gonna be a murderer. I ain’t gonna push you into your grave.” Sneak assured, leading him up some stairs, onto the platform. Other beasts were bustling about so their moving about wasn’t all too suspicious. They walked quietly, bumping past the shoulders of workers going to pick up materials and products from the train. Already, the smell wasn’t too pleasant. The factories may not have been active yet, but the smell of fuel and waste was still going strong. Soon, they were out on the streets of Adawood. 

Sneak took a deep breath, personally used to the dirty air. “Now, kid, I gotta see who’s in town, yea? We gotta go to a tavern, so you ought to stick close.” Moomin didn’t speak, just nodding. He felt so paranoid-- unnaturally so for him. This definitely wasn’t a good first look at any sort of place. He could feel so many people looking at him. They headed along the sidewalk, stepping over the trash that was stuck lying around the pavement. The brick buildings towered over them as they walked. There was some snow stuck along the darkest places, tainted with ash. The disgusting water dripped from windows and fire escapes.

The skies were still dark-- winter held on strong-- but it seemed there was no hibernation in a place such as this. Workers were already heading off, shops opening up. There was a true cacophony of noise all around: automobiles and radios, people and creeps… Usually Moomin was interested in new places and such but Adawood certainly seemed to be in a sad state. Besides, there was also the fact that he  _ was _ brought there against his will.

They kept on walking, seeing the diverse array of faces. Mymbles and Hemuls and all the like went about their day, but Moomin supposed he was the only of his kind all around. If there was so much as one moomin in this place, then why would anyone go to the valley to find some? He didn’t like to consider the idea of the moomins that had settled in town being picked off for the same diabolical reason his family was attacked for.

After some time of walking in silence, Sneak pointed over at a building. 

“There’s the tavern. Now you really gotta stick close now. Some folks in there ain’t too friendly.” He explained. The building in question was very similar to the rest, though what looked to be a small park sat beside it. It was the first time that Moomin saw real vegetation in town-- from what he could tell, anyways. An old, barren tree sat in the center with trash, leaves, and ashy snow strewn about it. It even looked like there was a bag of trash stuck in the tree’s branches! Surely, Moomin thought, that people would take better care of such things. At the base of the tree was a “no climbing” sign that had been trodden down. Moomin smiled a bit at it, thinking of Snufkin.

Sneak led him to an old oak door that stood right under the sign that read: “Holden’s Tavern and Inn” and turned to Moomin, making sure the kid was still close by. It was too early for the rowdy crowds to be around but… It was an inn and you never know what crazy might be lurking about. Sneak opened the door and led Moomintroll inside, looking around the place. As expected, it was empty besides some folks getting breakfast or getting piss drunk before they had to go to work but no real familiar faces. He frowned at least no one he knew well and could trust with this kid. Of course… He went to the barkeep who certainly didn’t like answering questions for someone who wasn’t a paying customer. This wasn’t the usual guy Sneak saw but, well, Sneak only really came out there with the boys at  _ night _ anyways.

Without the keep’s assistance, Sneak felt at a loss. Moomin was close, as instructed, but he felt a bit nervous having the kid at his side. Anyone who knew of McCapherson’s request could easily try and snatch the kid up for the bounty. He looked around again just in case but… still nothing. Sneak shoved his hands in his pockets and nudged Moomin with his elbow. He nodded to the door and started leading the kid out.

“Goddammit, why can’t I just find one person I know?” Sneak grumbled, walking out onto the sidewalk, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He stepped over to the park for a breather, heading through a gap in the low brick walls that kept it contained. Moomin finally spoke-- the park was empty so it felt more comfortable, regardless of all the garbage. 

“Probably because it’s still early.” He hummed, leaning against the tree, relieved to take pressure off his ankle. Sneak found a bench and brushed some wet leaves and trash from its surface before sitting, arms slung over his knees.

“Yeah, and my friends aren’t always the reliable sort either… I suppose” He breathed, resting his paws on the back of his neck. “Look, I really can’t go to the cops with this.” Sneak stressed, grasping at his scraggly fur. “M-my kid… I gotta go back to her. The longer I hang around with you the less likely that gets.” Moomin said nothing, just hugging himself. It was still a bit cold and the feeling of being watched… well, it never quite left. His tail lashed anxiously and he glanced about. Nothing, it seemed. Not even a creep hiding under a discarded newspaper. That is, until he heard a voice from above.

“Moomintroll? What on earth are you doing here?” Moomin jumped, promptly irritating his ankle and sending him to the ground with a strangled squeak. Sneak looked up too, frowning a bit. What seemed to be a clump of trash in the tree, was actually a very familiar shape to Moomin. The shape hopped down from the tree easily, huffing a bit as he landed in front of Moomin. Moomin’s eyes lit up at the familiar voice. The Joxter was there! Right there! It was terribly convenient but that didn’t make it any less true… The Joxter adjusted his hat and looked over the kid. “Are you alright? Where’s your pappa, kid?” He asked, kneeling down to check on Moomin, who was still holding his ankle. Moomin smiled at him weakly and quickly wrapped his arms around the mumrik

The action, however, did not seem to quell any of Joxter’s worries and, well, he certainly wasn’t one to worry. 

“What are you doing here, Moomin?” Joxter demanded again, whiskers twitching. He didn’t try to force Moomin to let go just yet, just casting a suspicious look at Sneak. The Sneak gazed back with shock and confusion. Luckily Moomin pulled away soon enough and answered the Joxter’s question.

“Y-you don’t know what’s been happening in Moominvalley? Mamma wrote to me and Snufkin to tell us that Pappa was writing to everyone!” Moomintroll’s ears lowered. He didn’t really want to explain this whole thing. He might burst if he had to! “And why are you here? Certainly there’s no fruit in that tree at this time of year…”

“Forebodings.” Joxter stated plainly. “Seems like they were right, I guess.” Joxter looked around cautiously before standing with a ‘hup-puff’. He offered a hand to Moomin, helping the child up off the ground. “And I don’t get letters, remember?” Moomin nodded.

“Yes but we didn’t know if you saw The Mymble’s letter or something! Oh, it’s a terrible mess…” Moomin’s paw was shaking in Joxter’s. Joxter hardly really knew the kid but it  _ was  _ Pappa’s boy  _ and  _ Snufkin’s friend so he couldn’t help but feel a little protective. The Joxter turned to Sneak, scanning him.

“And I assume you’re related to this ‘terrible mess’, eh?” Joxter moved Moomin closer ever so slightly, looking at him. “You ought to tell me what’s going on. Those forebodings told of awful business afoot and if you and your parents are in danger I want to do something about it.” Joxter stressed, casting a look at Moomin. He wanted to ask about Snufkin and Little My but… now probably wasn’t the time.

Moomin shifted his weight on his good foot. “Someone wants to make moomin-fur coats.” Moomin looked at the dirt, eyes already stinging. “Th-they caught me first…” Joxter cringed as he noticed the kid start crying. He’s been around so many kids and he  _ still _ wasn’t comfortable with kids crying. Joxter patted his back awkwardly. Then, Moomin seemed to remember something very, very important very suddenly. Moomin’s ears and tail shot up, eyes wide. “Pappa and Snufkin must still be hurt!” He cried.

Joxter’s heart dropped. Of course. But what would a hunter want with a mumrik? He shook his head. Not important. Sneak interrupted the two by clearing his throat.

“I was actually looking for someone to help this kid stay safe until his friends show up.” His gaze was averted. “His ‘Pappa’ and the mumrik kid should be at the rail station in a day or two. If you know those folks, surely you wouldn’t mind.” Sneak looked to Moomin for confirmation. Joxter squinted, suspicious of the fellow’s involvement.

“You wouldn’t happen to know anybody that would be after him?”

Sneak nodded. “Anybody. Lady McCapherson was the one who called a bounty for Moomins. Anyone in the underground here will know. If they see a moomin, they’re going to try and get that money. Hell knows I wanted to… You could tell I couldn’t, though.” Sneak stood up, brushing off his pants. “I need to leave, though. Please do be careful; the kid deserves a good shot at life.” Sneak cautioned before walking out of the park. Joxter didn’t move to stop him, busy thinking. Moomin saw a slight glint of anger in Joxter’s eyes despite how calm the man seemed.

“Now, a day or two certainly sounds long enough to exact some revenge on that lady. It’s a shame your leg isn’t exactly in order.” Joxter grunted, looking at Moomin. Moomin was leaning on Joxter quite a bit and they couldn’t really get anything done like that! Joxter sighed and ruffled the fur on Moomin’s head. “Let’s find a better spot for you to rest in, eh? Preferably close to the train station so we can see our little rescue party when they arrive.” Moomin nodded, relieved that he was with a...relatively kinder face. With a twitch in his whiskers, Joxter was leading the way out of there. As they left the park, Joxter spoke once more: “Given the situation, I’ll forgive you for waking me up so early. This time.”


	27. Chapter 27

The Joxter and Moomin made their way through town. Joxter had draped his coat over Moomin and given him his hat to make him less… Moomin-like to any passerbys. The streets were growing mighty lively now, so being noticed was far more likely to happen. Joxter’s arm was around Moomin, helping him hobble over uneven pavement. Joxter was worrying quietly, fussing with his shirt sleeves unconsciously. 

“Hey… so if Snufkin…” He started, looking ahead of them. “How badly is he hurt? And My..? She’s alright?” He asked, letting his arms fall to his sides. Moomin looked up, ears twitching a bit under Joxter’s hat.

“W-well… I don’t think he got hurt too bad. Not as bad as Pappa anyway…” Moomin said, speaking thoughtfully with a deep lamenting tone. “I didn’t see him too well when he fell.” Moomin paused and gazed out at the sidewalk. “And Little My is home with Moominmamma so she’s definitely okay.” 

Joxter nodded, glancing down at the child. “Thank you.” Joxter couldn’t help but feel somewhat guilty. If he had stayed with Mymble this winter, he would have known the Moomins were in danger… Including his own kids by association. Why, he would’ve gone straight to the valley if he knew. But no, he just needed to catch a break from spending all that time around Mymble’s children. He hated to admit it, but sometimes he hated being such a lazy old man. 

Now he had to look after Moomitroll. It seemed plenty simple at first, but he couldn’t leave the kid unattended so he’d have to take the kid around for things like food until those folks got here. The Sneak guy was definitely some criminal, but even then he could’ve taken the kid to the police or a doctor or something… Joxter hated the cops as much as any other guy, but something just felt weird about this. The kid obviously needed help but, well, if everyone knew about the bounty and  _ who _ made it, why wasn’t it already taken care of? Who would just let that happen? 

Joxter looked for some place to snatch up something for them to eat. He didn’t have any money but… They’d manage. He had a bit of food in his bag but he preferred traveling lightly, so he very rarely had anything packed for the road. Definitely not enough for two people! He led Moomin along by store fronts. Now some outdoor stands were set up around the place to entice some poor sap, but it definitely made it easier to swipe little things every now and then. A few fruits disappeared from some baskets but no one really noticed. Joxter didn’t have many spots to stash things without his jacket, so he had to slip a few things into his bag. Not his first choice of action, as it was a rather obvious movement, but he’d do what he had to. 

Moomin kept his eyes down, he didn’t like having to steal too much but it wasn’t like they had many options. His tail swished anxiously as they went down the street. So long as he kept his gaze down, no one could see him. He just had to keep that up until they got to the railroad tracks. He could manage that! He leaned against Joxter. They’d been walking for a bit now. Moomin’s ankle was not happy with that… He didn’t want to say anything about it, though-- they had to keep moving, after all.    
The two kept walking, Joxter helping maneuver Moomin between members of the crowd. Of course, it was difficult. Wherever they’d bump into people, they’d get some glares and rude remarks, but usually nothing more. That is, until they bumped into a mymble man. The man may have been on the shorter side, but his temper was massive. Joxter had tried to shift around some lady so Moomin could get out of the way but he wasn’t quick enough, resulting in a shoulder check. 

Moomin yelped as he was forced away from Joxter. He raised his paws, apologizing quickly and tried to hurry back but the mymble man grabbed the kid.

“Watch where you’re going kid! Don’t your parents teach you any better?” The man shouted, voice slurring. Passersby were stopping to see what was going on. Moomin was scared, trying to pull himself away from the man, but any step he tried to take was agony to him. He kept his head down, trembling under Joxter’s hat. The man shoved him a bit. “Hey, look at me, asshole. Maybe if you fucking took your eyes off the pavement for a minute, you wouldn’t be fucking running into people!” Now, this man was quite obviously hungover to the onlookers, but Moomin wasn’t the most acquainted with hangovers and with people after him, he immediately began to assume the worst. He looked for Joxter, who was quickly coming back to help him.

“Leave the kid alone.” The Joxter warned the mymble man. He grabbed the mymble’s hand and forced it off of Moomintroll. “He’s a child.”

“So? He looks like a goddamned tramp to me!” The man noted, stepping forward. Moomin shuffled back, finally raising his face so he could look at the man. “Someone’s gotta teach him manners.”

Moomin managed to speak, ears flat against his head. “Please just leave me alone… I didn’t mean--…” Joxter put his arm around Moomin once more, casting a glare at the mymble man. 

“He certainly isn’t a tramp, sir. Mind your own business.” Joxter warned. He quickly turned and led Moomintroll away from the situation. Both of them could feel that man glaring daggers at them as they left but the onlookers moved on rather quickly considering what just happened. 

The walk went on fairly simply, but neither the Joxter or Moomin were able to shake the feeling of being watched. It was almost as if the man was following them or something. Joxter made sure to keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Moomin was still trembling a while after that short interaction. Joxter’s instincts as a father kept getting on his nerves… He had grown fond of those instincts at times-- or at least gotten used to them-- but he was still hurting. When he had first lost Snufkin, he cursed his instincts for not being good enough but now he cursed his instincts for letting him get attached to temporary things. This certainly was temporary but he still saw Moomin and thought of his son almost every time.

The two made their way back into the industrial district of the city. Joxter wasn’t a fan of how thick the smog was there. He didn’t get how folks could deal with it! The train station was in view, mostly empty now, though. Additionally, Joxter felt fairly certain that they’d lost that rude fellow somewhere in the streets. Thank goodness. Joxter looked over the building. He’d like to get a higher vantage point so that he could see who all was coming when they were close but, again, Moomin was an issue for that. Their best option was to just get off the streets. He rubbed his cheek and headed into the train station. There were some folks just sitting around, waiting for trains so he supposed they wouldn’t seem too out of place to sit here… at least for now.    
The Joxter sat Moomin down on one of the benches that dotted the train station and knelt down in front of him.

“Alright, kiddo,” He started, taking a deep breath. “We’re gonna sit here for a bit so… mind if I check your ankle? Looks like it’s been bothering you.”

Moomin nodded, looking at the bench. “Y-yes please. They shot my ankle a while ago but Snufkin saved me.” He traced a circle over the woodgrain with his paw. “It hasn’t been able to heal much.” He muttered. Joxter lifted the bandaged foot, looking over it. 

“Yeah. Looks pretty swollen.” He gently let the foot fall back down and slid his pack off, setting it beside Moomin. The Joxter began to look for anything that could be remotely medical. He could at least clean it up, if anything. He pulled out what he had and got to work doing what he could. Moomin lowered his head, shutting his eyes as the Joxter took care of the aching wound in his ankle. He twitched unconsciously every now and then, tail stiff as the wound was aggravated. Joxter peered up at the kid. “Guess you couldn’t take great care of this, eh?” He spoke, just trying to get rid of the silence. 

There was very little going on in there. It felt eerie. Just the sound of heels against stone flooring, coughing, and short conversations exchanged between the other people around the station. It all felt so alien and isolating. The Joxter could only imagine how Moomintroll felt out here. From what he knew, the kid rarely travelled, much less to a place like this. He cleared his throat a bit and sat back on his heels. “So Snufkin’s been taking care of you this whole time? At least up until now.”

Moomin nodded again, lifting the brim of Joxter’s hat up so he could see him, his face showing a level of fondness akin to the kind Joxter would see on his dear Mymble’s face wherever he was with her. Joxter smiled as well, slowly but surely. He was glad the kids were okay now. They ought to be able to live their lives as they pleased-- to have the youthful journeys he, too had experienced those years ago. However, as Moomin started to open his mouth to speak, his face changed. Fondness quickly turned to fear and a quick warning left Moomin’s lips.

“Look out!” He said, jerking upright. Joxter turned, standing in one fast movement. The mymble man was standing with a couple other fellows. A female beast examined the two of them, her fine fur making her appear as though she were an oversized badger.

“So this is that Moomin kid you saw?” She asked the mymble man who hummed in confirmation.

“I saw his face. He sure as hell isn’t that mumrik’s kid… he isn’t a hemulin either.” He said, looking at the two. Already, eyes were on them (thanks to Moomin’s shout). This included the Hemulen woman at the desk who was watching the situation very carefully. The Joxter raised his hands.

“Now, what exactly do you want here? Of course this isn’t my son-- he’s a friend’s. We’re waiting for his train.” He spoke calmly, an eyebrow raised. 

“Well,” the mymble man began. “If you’ve paid any attention to local news, the police happen to be looking for a Moomin. That kid’s the only moomin I’ve seen on this side of town.” He crossed his arm, challenging the Joxter. The small audience already began their murmurings. There  _ had _ been some announcement from the police department quite some time ago. Even if it was old news, it was still something. Moomin glanced around the station warily. He supposed this did look bad… Moomin then looked at the mymble, somehow doubting his intentions were good in this situation.

“I’ll have you know, he  _ is _ my father’s friend. We’re waiting here so I can go back home.” Moomin said, trying to sound confident. Some of the audience turned to continue tittering amongst themselves or whatever their business was, but Moomin could see how the mymble man’s face twitched with annoyance. The woman with him chuckled dryly.

“Now… How much did you have to threaten him to play along?” She smiled, a devious glint in her eyes.

“He didn’t do anything like that.” Moomin sent her a glare. “I’d very much like it if you would leave us alone.” Moomin spoke firmly. He wasn’t shy about standing his ground… Well, he was earlier, but that was besides the point here. These people already knew what he was, he didn’t have to hide under Joxter’s hat! Silence fell for a moment-- save for some noise from the streets outside. The hemulen from the desk cleared her throat, eyeing the rabble-rousers with a stern look.

“Are you lot quite done? The boy  _ did _ say to leave them alone. If you don’t, I’ll have you thrown right out the door.” She stated bluntly, hands folded in front of her. “I’m sure no one wants that.” The mymble man processed all of this for a moment before groaning and shaking his head.

“Alright, alright, we’ll head out.” He relented before casting a look at Moomintroll and the Joxter-- a look that read ‘this isn’t over yet’. The Joxter slumped, back against the bench, cursing under his breath. 

“I shoulda known they were still on our tail.” He muttered, and glanced up at Moomin, who was pulling off Joxter’s hat. His ears were low, but his face showed optimism. 

“Yes but we’re still okay!” He said, handing the hat over. “And I know we can keep that up until Pappa gets here.” He smiled in a genuine, adorable way that practically forced Joxter to smile back. He took his hat and set it down on his head.

“I suppose so, kid.” He turned around. “Guess I should finish up with your bandages. Don’t wanna just leave ya like that.” Moomin nodded and gazed out at the train platform. He’d be home soon… He knew of it.


	28. Chapter 28

Moominhouse sat quiet for days. Not even Little My felt up to creating a racket. She had healed up fine, thankfully. She had a bout of illness as Moominmamma expected but it was short-lived. My didn’t bother fighting against her older sister as she took care of her. And, although that was a little worrying, Mymble was relieved to have Little My back on her feet. The three women that remained in Moominhouse did their best to keep busy. The snow had piled up and up, forcing all of them to stay indoors most of the time, but it also limited all contact with the rest of the valley.

It was terribly nerve-wracking to them all. Little My was comfortable enough going outside, though. It was just about as cold inside as it was outside and a lack of firewood forced them to all stay in one room at night-- the den. Moominmamma had grown plagued with nightmares, leaving her drained for extended periods of time. In fact, time seemed to flow differently now. With no light from outside, it almost felt like it was always nighttime. Only the upper floors could get a glimpse of the outside world. 

Mymble took up most of the housework. Little My and Moominmamma helped when they could but they weren’t the most dependable-- for good reason, mind you. Mamma had managed to keep herself from thinking about the boys too much during the day, but that didn’t stop her from experiencing the dread and helplessness in her dreams.

Mamma didn’t know what was worse: the dreams where she died or the ones where she was alive but alone. She did know one thing for certain, though. The nightmares where she had to watch it all happen were the worst by far. She’d toss cry in her sleep for hours, crying for her family. On those particularly bad nights, Moominmamma would wake to find a cup of tea or coffee waiting on the coffee table (though it was usually cold by then) and Little My nestled beside her on the cough. Mamma was immensely grateful for those Mymbles. She knew they were hurting too, yet they still sought to look after her. 

Neither of the sisters were free of nightmares, though. Everyone knew of Little My’s nightmares, even if no one spoke of them. She did her best not to be a bother about them, honestly, but every so often she’d have to go over to Mymble or Moominmamma and lie beside them for the night. Neither minded at all, really. It was comforting to have someone nearby on particularly bad nights. Mymble kept her nightmares to herself, for the most part as they were usually tame. Little My would dream of monsters stalking her or her friends on dark, lonely nights. Moominmamma would dream of the stench of death and blood overwhelming her. But Mymble, the odd woman she was, dreamed of emptiness. An empty home or an empty bed. It was like November but with the thralls of death hanging over her with a fury. She dreamed of a world devoid of friendships and love that she had grown so accustomed to.

Truly, Moominhouse felt as though it was in utter shambles. Not even the Ancestor reared his wooly head! They’d received word of the wagon what felt like ages ago. The Inspector had come up to the window into Pappa’s study as the snow was just beginning to lap at the sill. Little My had let him in and they all sat down to discuss what they knew. It was a relief to know that all three of the missing boys were still alive at that moment, but the days still dragged endlessly, making them feel as though hope was ultimately lost amongst the dark and snowy hills of Moominvalley.

Moominmamma and Mymble were putting something together from the preserves that still kept the pantry relatively well stocked. Little My was lamenting the empty chairs at the dining table. She’d say she was just missing being able to mess with Moomintroll, but honestly just seeing him okay would be a relief to her at this point. Hell, even just seeing her mother would be a relief! Only a fool would travel right now, though. Even if My knew there were folks that passed through during winter, it wouldn’t be her mom or Too-Ticky or the Joxter… Or Moominpappa with Snufkin and Moomin in tow. Even if they were safe, they wouldn’t be able to get home! My groaned to herself, glaring at the empty chair in front of her.

Little My felt her sister’s hand rest on her shoulder. She looked up, immediately met with a kind smile. My sighed, letting her shoulders sag.

“Yeah, yeah… I remember.” She leaned back. “Try not to sulk at the table.” My muttered, rolling her eyes. Mymble chuckled a bit.

“Nope! I wanted to check if you were hungry. Moominmamma and I are just about done now.” Mymble explained, pulling away. “It’s nothing spectacular, but I could get you some.” Little My nodded, slumping with her head in her hand. For some reason, today Little My felt odd. Not ill but just… antsy? Was that the word? Regardless she felt like she couldn’t sit still or let her mind clear for even just a moment. Of course, she’d felt like this before, even before this whole situation began but now it was deep in her muscles. She rubbed the back of her neck, frowning. Seems she wouldn’t be getting any rest today…

She looked up as Mymble and Moominmamma joined her at the table. Mymble set a plate down. They didn’t have bread so it wasn’t as if they could even make a sandwich… Stuck living off preserves and crackers. Flavors had grown dull and boring quite some time ago so it was mostly just eating to survive at this point. There was no joy or fun to it at all and Little My resented that fact. Nothing was sacred! Everything was terrible!

Moominmamma ate quietly, dark circles under her eyes. She’d likely try and sleep soon enough. Little My looked up at her, a small pit of worry in her gut. She always hated seeing her like that. No one deserved to look so miserable! Well, no one Little My liked deserved it. My started eating as well, hoping to finish up the same time Mamma did.

When all was said and done, Mamma had retreated to the den to try and sleep. Little My was close behind, arms crossed. Mamma glanced back.

“What are you up to, dear?” She asked, smiling sweetly.

Little My spoke, a determined tone to her voice.“I’m gonna make sure you can get some sleep!” She hopped up onto the sofa as Moominmamma sat down. The moomin suppressed a yawn, pressing the back of her paw to her mouth. Little My placed a small hand on Moominmama’s arm. “We all know you need it!”

Mamma chuckled a bit, patting My’s hand. “Thank you, I really do appreciate it.” She spoke in a hushed tone, looking to the snow-packed window. Oh, she wished she knew what it was like outside. She sighed softly and unfolded one of the blankets that sat on the coffee table. She settled down, lying with a blanket pulled over her shoulders.”Good night, Little My.” She hummed as she shut her eyes and soon fell asleep. Little My stayed, sitting beside Moominmamma quietly. 

Little My watched Mamma closely, as if she were waiting for something. She was dead quiet, the only noise in the room was slow breathing, the crackling fire, and any small critters who came in with the snow.My kept her focus, however. It truly was a strange sight to behold. Soon, however, Little My felt a blanket being draped over her shoulders. She just about jumped out of her skin, whipping around to face her sister. 

Mymble was knelt beside the sofa features soft in the fire’s warm light. She gently cupped My’s cheek.

“It’s okay, My, it’s just me.” She reassured, letting her hand fall to her lap. “What are you doing?” She asked, whispering as to not wake Moominmamma.

Little My turned to watch Mamma again, determination covering up any insecurity that lingered in her heart. “I’m waiting for her to start dreaming. That way I can scare away the nightmares before they start!” She declared, propping her head up on her knees. Mymble smiled a bit.

“Is that so? Well, if anyone can do that, it’s certainly you.” She adjusted My’s blanket and leaned against the sofa. Strands of her long, red hair draped over her face as she rested it in her arms. “I’m sure Mamma will appreciate that.” She whispered, nuzzling her face into the crook of her arm. She could use that too… But she wouldn’t say it outright. After all, she had two people depending on her right now!

She watched the flickering light at it silhouetted Little My’s shape. Mymble had to admit it, though… Trying to be strong like this often just made her dreams feel like a reality. She felt alone. She forced away her growing tears and just focused on Little My. My may have been a terror, but Mymble missed it so.

Little My glanced over her shoulder after a moment, sending a shot of nervousness into Mymble. Was she being loud??

“You should try and sleep too. I can fight off your nightmares too, I swear it!” Little My shot her sister a confident grin. Mymble giggled a bit pulling My into a gentle hug.

“Of course you can… Thank you.” She kept her voice down so as to not wake Moominmamma. Mymble released her sister and laid her head back in her arms, letting her eyes soon flutter closed. She hardly even bothered to fetch herself a blanket. Little My rolled her eyes and shrugged her blanket off and hopped off the sofa, grabbing a larger blanket for her sister. Her boots thumped gently on the floorboards. She found that the darkness always made her feel even smaller than she really was… She pulled the blanket off the coffee table and hopped back up onto the sofa. 

Little My stood over her sister for a moment, brain running blank, before she threw the blanket over her, making sure to tuck it so that it wouldn’t fall off. After looking over her work, My decided it was time to get back to her watch duties, settling back down, back resting against Moominmamma as she faced the darkness ahead. Any nightmare ought to beware… Little My wouldn’t be playing fair!

She was waiting for longer than she expected, but she refused to fall asleep-- not until she knew her family was safe from nightmares. After some time of silence, she heard Moominmamma moan, her face twisting in fear. 

“N-no…” She stammered, shifting a bit, her paws clutching her blanket. Little My turned quickly, shuffling over to Mamma’s face, frowning. Mamma’s face contorted. “No..! Please!” Little My cringed, glancing over at Mymble. Mymble shifted, Moominmamma’s cry being just a little too loud. Little My pressed a hand to Mamma’s muzzle.

“Mamma..? Mamma, you’re okay.” She tried, watching her face carefully. She whispered, leaning close. Moominmamma was mumbling quite a bit… it was a bit hard to hear. Moominmamma groaned again, pressing to Little My’s hand in her sleep. 

“Moomin?” She asked, voice barely audible. “Dear, please, where are you..?” Mamma’s voice wavered with vulnerability. Little My gulped down the dread that began to bubble up in her throat. Of course that’s what she was dreaming about. With a deep breath, My hugged Moominmamma’s muzzle, nuzzling her face into Mamma’s fur. 

“I’m right here Mamma.” She whispered, shutting her eyes. “Don’t cry… everything's gonna be alright, I promise.” She grinned at how Moominmamma seemed to relax little by little. Moominmamma smiled a little bit.

“I’ve missed you so much…” Mamma breathed. She said something else, but Little My couldn’t make it out, really. Either way, Little My certainly believed she showed that nightmare who’s boss! She began to doze, head still pressed against Moominmamma’s. Certainly, that nightmare wouldn’t come back tonight. Not for anyone in Moominhouse. Little My’s chest was overcome with an odd mix of pride and sorrow. Sure, she couldn’t have treated the nightmare like any old nuisance-- as if it were Stinky. Nightmares were certainly weird, but nothing My couldn’t handle. Well, unless they were her own nightmares… She felt a shudder rush over her spine. 

She ought to stop being silly… That nightmare was gone. They’d all be okay now.   



	29. Chapter 29

The fields past the Lonely Mountain were still shrouded in darkness. The sun wouldn’t return for some time so it made it very difficult to see how long Too-Ticky and the others had been following the railroad tracks for. While it wasn’t snowing, a thick winter’s fog had settled over the horizon. It made everything feel so desolate at the time. Gravel and frosted grass crunched under the weight of the travelers’ boots. It was certainly still freezing out. Snufkin could feel the winter’s chill through the tears he’s gotten in his pants after his fall earlier. It bit at his scrapes and cuts, yet he stayed silent. He was doing his best to be strong.

Moominpappa walked on, leaning heavily on Too-Ticky-- and Snufkin for quite some time. Pappa refused to take a break. He had to keep moving. Every moment he stopped movement was a moment Moomin drew closer to… to getting hurt-- or even worse!. He had to protect his son! Too-Ticky kept a firm grip on Pappa, worry still swirling in her gut. He was so obviously tired and in pain, it was really worrying. He could black out if he didn’t take care of himself! She had no clue how far they were from town… She just had to hope she could get him to a doctor there before he collapsed. 

Snufkin’s eyes were trained on Nels, his body was tensed up and refusing to settle. Despite being arrested with an obvious head injury, he still seemed so cocky… It was probably just Nels trying to get under their skin. Quite some time ago, Sneak said he was trying to ‘get off on terrorizing a town’, so this was likely a last ditch attempt at doing just that. Snufkin glared at Nels’ back quietly. He didn't want to let Nels feel like he won in any sense, but Nels still kept trying. At that moment, Nels was singing, a grin on his face. He kept looking back at his past captives regardless of how many times the officers tried to tell him to be quiet.

_ “A-hunting we will go, _

_ A-hunting we will go _

_ We'll catch a fox and put him in a box _

_ And never let him go…” _

Nels sang each verse, the playful melody taking on a much more sadistic tone thanks to Nels’ rough voice and dark intentions. It made Snufkin’s hair stand on end… Snufkin couldn’t help but feel like Nels was taunting them with the fact that Moomin was still very much in danger. He tore his eyes from the horrible man, choosing instead to look down along the tracks, trying his damndest to just see their destination. He didn’t want to be stuck like this for far too long. He couldn’t help but think about, well, what if Moomin or Moominmamma were being kicked around and abused? Neither he or Moominpappa were there to help. They would be stuck, alone and under duress. They’d be in pain! Pain in every sense of the word, even!

Snufkin felt his heart leap up into his throat. His sisters were still with Mamma… Goodness, what if they got hurt too? He didn’t want to imagine what little family he had dear to him getting hurt. He didn’t want to so much as  _ think _ about anything like that! His face scrunched up silently. He’d gladly take a beating to keep them safe-- to keep everyone safe.

“Snufkin?” A voice called, snapping him out of his thoughts. Moominpappa was looking at him, worry lacing his cloudy eyes. Snufkin nodded quickly.

“I’m alright, Moominpappa. I ended up thinking too much. I’m okay.” He tried to reassure, tripping over his words a bit. He tried to smile at Pappa, his lips twitching with the urge to shoot a nasty snarl at Nels. Moominpappa grunted, his injured arm resting over Snufkin’s shoulders.

“Breathe, my boy…” He murmured, letting his hand pat Snufkin’s shoulder. “None of this… none of it’s got to be stuck on your shoulders.” He managed between his labored breaths. Snufkin shifted his hold on Moominpappa, frowning a bit. He couldn’t help but worry he’d drop the poor moomin! Pappa’s head lulled to the side, sucking in a deep breath. “This is my burden.” He managed, looking ahead at the railroad, gaze distant.

“Oh shush, the lot of you.” Too-Ticky warned, somehow keeping a steady pace still. “Neither of you are facing this alone. This is far bigger than just being one person’s fault or their ‘burden to bear’.” She huffed, casting a soft glare at both of the boys.

Nels paused his singing to peer back, a smirk on his face. He began to laugh at Too-Ticky’s words in an exaggerated manner. “Well, well, I’d say it’s everyone’s ‘burden’! Everyone here’s a goddamned failure! Hell, even me!” He claimed, earning a scolding and a threat from an officer. Nels continued regardless, having to exaggerate with his voice alone since his arms were bound. “Even if the kid doesn’t get skinned, he’d make a good pet to somebody, eh? He seems easy to break, after all.  _ Especially _ without dear old dad and his little turtledove to look after him.” Nels added, glancing back to see how Moominpappa tensed, fury coursing through his veins. Nels decided this wasn’t enough. Oh, no, he had to keep pushing his ex captives to their limits. “Who knows, maybe that bitch who got away could be--” He began to speak but was quickly interrupted.

“Shut up!” Pappa shouted, temper absolutely shattering, fists clenched in the fabrics of Snufkin and Too-Ticky’s shirts. He looked at Nels. “You just shut up already! You’ve lost! Just leave it! Leave my family alone already!” Pappa’s voice shook, his face red from exertion. His head was pounding. His world was spinning. He wanted to just grab Nels by the throat and… Suddenly he was on his knees, Too-Ticky at his side, checking over him. His hands were planted in front of him, keeping him from falling face-first into the frosty earth. Warm tears decorated his fuzzy cheeks. He just wanted his son back. Pappa gasped weakly. He felt so exhausted, but he couldn’t give up.

Moominpappa could feel Snufkin holding his shoulders. The boy was talking, but Pappa couldn’t make anything out over the rush of blood in his ears. 

Snufkin looked at Too-Ticky, brows furrowed. “Wh-what do we do?”

Too-Ticky carefully pulled Pappa from Snufkin. “He needs rest.. But it isn’t safe here.” She muttered. “We need to push it and get to town so he can see an actual doctor.” She pulled a canteen from her pack and shifted her hold on Moominpappa, trying to get him to lie down. He didn’t fight her, allowing himself to slump against the earth. Nels was trying to continue his jeers, but he was pulled away from where Pappa lay by the officers. Thank goodness...

Too-Ticky quickly started taking care of Pappa-- keeping him hydrated and checking his more major injuries out. Snufkin sat idly to the side, twitching nervously. He couldn’t do much at all, but the silence was a relief though. After a moment, Snufkn opened his mouth to speak. Nels’ words were bouncing in his head still. He just wanted to be rid of it!

“Moomin is a brave young troll… He’ll be okay.” He murmured to Moominpappa, gripping his jacket’s hem. Moominpappa nodded quietly, eyes shut. Snufkin fell into silence afterwards, just watching Too-Ticky work. Pappa started to settle, his breathing returning to normal. His tail sat still in the grass, Pappa shifting a paw up to rest on his chest. His heart was still pounding. He opened his eyes to look at the two folks that were worrying over him. It took his brain a moment to catch up with his eyes and even longer for him to form words.

“I’m sorry… I- I sorta just… I don’t know, I just blew up.” He managed, still wincing over his terrible headache. Too-Ticky hummed, gently moving his head so she could check for any bumps or gashes.

“It’s okay Moominpappa.” Too-Ticky reassured. “It’s completely understandable.” She said softly, frowning at a nasty gash that had made itself a home on the back of Pappa’s head. She didn’t hesitate to start taking care of it, rinsing away the dirt and such that latched itself onto the wound. Pappa hissed in pain, a wave of blackness clouding his vision as the pounding pain grew stronger and stronger. Too-Ticky cringed a bit. “I’m sorry, but this gash looks awful.. I’ll get it wrapped up right away.” She forewarned before she got to wrapping it up. Snufkin looked away finally, staring off into the fog.

Moominpappa laid still for a while after Too-Ticky was done. His brain didn’t even consider moving for some time. As the pain began to fade, he tried to push himself off the ground. He’d wasted enough time like this… He couldn’t go home without Moomin.

“W-well… I suppose we really should try and get moving…” He murmured, looking between Snufkin and Too-Ticky. Without so much of an argument, Snufkin looped one of Pappa’s arms over his shoulder to help him up. He didn’t see it as his place to make decisions here… Too-Ticky seemed a bit iffy about heading out so soon, though.

“Only if you think you can handle it… you didn’t get to rest for that long.” She urged yet joined Snufkin in helping Moominpappa keep on his feet.. “I know I said we shouldn’t rest long but that really wasn’t long at all, you know.” The police officers rejoined them as soon as they saw that the others were making their way down the tracks again-- Nels stuck between them. Nels was quiet now, so Snufkin supposed the officers had gone and threatened Nels into silence. Good. Snufkin sighed and looked back into the fog, letting Too-Ticky lead him and Moominpappa along. He tried to shift his focus from their situation to trying to come up with a melody. He had barely thought of music lately since so much had been going on, but it could be a good way to escape.

All of the sorrow and pain of this winter could make for a beautiful song, in all honesty. It may seem uncouth but it certainly was a better way for Snufkin to think about everything in the moment. He didn’t really want to address his feelings directly until later, so music was the way to go. Not having to hear Nels tease him and Pappa certainly made thinking easier for him. He was able to allow himself to become one with his mind for the time being.

Too-Ticky was anxious. She knew they would be walking for some time without rest. It was nerve-wracking, really… one of the officers had a pocket watch but it did them no good at the time… She just turned her focus on monitoring Moominpappa’s condition and moving forward. As hours passed, her feet grew more sore and her stomach grew more empty. She knew the others were feeling the same. Despite the fog clearing with time, there was still so little to be seen. The grass swayed in the wind stiffly, golden and dead from the cold. Only sparse winter birds flitted through the skies. The monotony just stretched endlessly onwards.

She looked over everyone, taking a deep breath. They all seemed to sag under the weight of exhaustion. Pappa was struggling to not pass out while he walked. She rubbed her face with a free hand. Things wouldn’t end well if they didn’t stop… She called for everyone to stop, glancing over at the officers. 

“We need to stop for a little bit…” She stated plainly. “We’ll do no good travelling on an empty stomach. Besides, it looks like Moominpappa really needs to lie down for a bit.” She noted, nodding her head to where Pappa was dozing. No one could argue beyond the fact that time was of the essence here. Overexerting themselves, however, would do no good to them at all! One of the officers seemed thoughtful.

“You’re right… but I think it would be best to have some of us push on so this guy can’t run off.” They proposed, holding one of Nels’ cuffed arms. Well, they weren’t wrong about that. While Nels sported a few injuries that hadn’t been checked, he seemed to be full of energy-- enough to have caused Moominpappa to collapse, even. Too-Ticky nodded curtly.

“I suppose so.” She said, looking over the party. They didn’t have many officers to begin with… If the two with Nels went on ahead, they’d be left with just one. “It would be best to have all three of you go to make sure he won't try anything.” She continued. “Snufkin and I should be able to take care of Moominpappa on our own.” Snufkin looked up at the mention of his name. He hadn’t been paying the most attention, but he seemed to understand what was going on fairly well. Too-Ticky spotted a tree not too far away and led the boys towards it wordlessly. 

The police bid them a farewell and pushed forward along the tracks, leaving the trio alone for now. Too-Ticky and Snufkin helped Moominpappa lie down and sat down beside him. Too-Ticky was a bit relieved that Pappa was too tired to argue right then… They got him to rest without much of a fight. Too-Ticky and Snufkin sat together for a little while, having something to eat as they sat, backs against the tree trunk. 

“How long do you think we’ll rest..?” Snufkin asked, voice soft. 

“Hopefully not long. We’ll see how Moominpappa feels later.” Too-Ticky answered, looking at the troll. It truly was a sad state to see… She ran a hand through her hair. “But how are you?” She turned to Snufkin. Snufkin’s eyes were trained on his boots, brows furrowed.

“Absolutely drained.” He muttered, pulling his knees to his chest and resting his head on them. “I can’t wait for this to be over.”

“Don’t worry… It’ll be less than a day until we get to town. Then we can think about what comes next. Rest. I’ll keep an eye out now.” Too-Ticky hummed, leaning her head back against the tree. Snufkin looked at her for a moment before letting himself curl up, retreating into the jacket almost like a turtle. The cold bit at him terribly… Too-Ticky was glad she was used to such things, but she couldn’t help but wish she could do something more for the boy. They’d have to get moving soon so he wouldn’t freeze out there.


	30. Chapter 30

The Joxter had elected to pull an all-nighter that night. Moomin had passed out sometime after they had eaten. It was infuriating to learn that the kid had been stuck eating literal scraps… he was content in the fact that he was able to give the kid just a little more than that, if anything. The lady at the front desk didn’t seem too bothered by them staying so far, even long after the last train had arrived. Joxter didn’t say it, but he was grateful. It was better than being stuck outside.

The Joxter was occupying himself by thinking of ways he could get revenge on that hag who was intending on skinning Moominpappa and his boy. Of course, he’d have to wait until Everything was settled… or, hopefully, being pressured by outside police departments would result in something being done about that person, but he doubted that. A corrupt system would stay corrupt... The Joxter huffed, tail swishing. He was so lost in his thoughts about whether he should take matters into his own hands or not, that he didn’t hear the hemulen from the front desk approaching their bench.

“Excuse me?” She stood a fair distance from the Joxter, not wanting to startle him too terribly. She was a fair bit small for a hemulen and much kinder looking at that. The Joxter looked up with a bit of a huff, an eyebrow raised. The hemulen took that as her queue to continue. “Sir, I presume the train you’re waiting for is arriving sometime tomorrow?” She asked, her paws folded neatly in front of her, resting on her skirt. Joxter nodded and motioned for her to keep it down, nodding to the still-sleeping moominchild that lay beside him. The hemulen flushed and nodded. “Of course! I apologize…” She quickly lowered her voice. “Well, I wanted to say that, I wouldn’t mind letting you stay overnight.” She gestured to the empty station. “I still have to lock things up for the night, but truly, if you wish to stay, you may.” 

“Thank you, miss.” Joxter hummed, voice low. The hemulen smiled at him.

“Of course, sir.” Her eyes crinkled a bit. “Rest well.” She bowed slightly and turned to go manage her nightly duties. That left Joxter and Moomintroll alone now. The Joxter sighed, propping his head up on his knee. He knew the kid had yet to tell him everything and, yes, he understood why, but he couldn’t help but feel absolutely dreadful about it. He shifted his head to look at the doors, seeing the hemulen locking them for the night. At least they would be safe… he hoped. Who knew if that mymble man would return again! He shook his head. No. No one knew they were still in the station but the hemulen. Moomintroll was safe. Joxter would make sure of it.

He definitely did despise waiting there… His eyes kept wandering to the clock, the sparse light left in the building glinting off his eyes. The Joxter easily fell into a routine: check the kid, check the doors, check the clock, repeat. His leg bounced. He rarely ever felt the desire to move like this, especially after being woken up early. Of course, he did tell Moomin he wouldn’t hold it against him, but he felt the reason behind his twitchiness was of an entirely different breed. The Joxter was used to danger and crime, but this ultimately had some high stakes-- high stakes innocent folk were forced into. He needed to make sure his son was okay. The Joxter sighed, shifting his leg so it was folded neatly over the other.

This cycle continued for hours. Joxter couldn’t tell when he dozed off-- if he did at all, really. It did seem like time skipped around a bit for him… But Moomin was asleep the whole time. Poor kid was exhausted. The hemulen was soon setting up the time cards for the day’s trains, humming to herself as she did so. Joxter finally set his hand on Moomin’s shoulder.

“Kid… you might wanna wake up here pretty soon. It’s morning.” He said, trying not to be too gruff but he couldn’t always help how he came off. Moomin groaned a bit, stretching as he woke.

“Is it morning..? Oh goodness, I’m so glad yesterday wasn’t a dream Mister Joxter, really… I-I… if it were…” He looked up at the Joxter, still obviously groggy. Joxter patted the kid’s shoulder. 

“I know. You don’t gotta think about that now.” He tried to reassure the kid. He reached into his pack and handed Moomin an apple that he had swiped just the day before. “Here, kiddo. Thought I should wake you before the trains came in, you know?”

Moomin nodded. “Yes! Thank you.” He smiled at the Joxter and got comfortable in his seat. Eventually the hemulen lady had unlocked the door and eventually the morning crowd came in. Moomin and Joxter kept to themselves for the most part and no one really bothered them in turn. It certainly was a relief for Moomin. He was still drained emotionally and he would be regardless of how much he slept. He needed a little bit more than just sleep to get over his exhaustion. 

Moomin quietly people watched, eating the apple that Joxter had given him, scanning for any sign of his pappa. Time was passing quite a bit, of course… It wasn’t as if the morning meant he was anywhere near the station. I tried to stay optimistic, though. After some time, there was a commotion at the loading dock. The Joxter jerked up, ears perked to hear what was going on. He stood slowly, motioning for Moomin to stay still. He tried to peer through the back doors that led to the railroads, seeing what seemed to be a police uniform. A small grin came over his face.

“Looks like our friends have arrived!” He claimed, looking down at Moomintroll. The kid’s eyes lit up immediately. Joxter held out an arm, helping Moomin up to his feet. Soon, a police officer came in, followed by two others and… Nels. Joxter didn’t recognize the fellow, but Joxter could get a good idea of who he was based on how Moomin quietly shifted to stand partially behind him. The mumrik felt a grumble of a growl building up in his chest. This was the asshole who hurt Snufkin. 

After Nels had been pulled in, no one else came through those doors. Moomin’s chest felt tight and he pulled away from the Joxter, hobbling over to the officers, hardly caring about his leg.

“Isn’t Moominpappa with you?” He asked, immediately drawing four pairs of eyes to him. Nels glared down at the kid, dried blood coating the side of his face. Somehow, the injury only served to make the man more intimidating. Moomin stumbled back with a hiss of pain, right into the Joxter. The first officer cast Nels a look before turning to Moomin.

“Moomintroll! Aren’t we glad to see you?” The officer seemed honestly relieved, though their face was rough from a lack of sleep. “Moominpappa needed some rest-- he shouldn’t be too far behind us!” They claimed, looking to the other officers and nodding. The others nodded back and started leading Nels through the now dead-quiet train station. Nels, however, wanted to get one last word in to the young moomin.

“This shit ain’t over kid.” He hissed as he was led along, limping and quite obviously in pain. “No matter how long you wait, it’ll never be over.”

One of the officers that was escorting the man gave him a jab. “Quiet you!” They directed, ushering him out the front doors. The morning noise quickly took over again. It was odd how quickly the citizens of Adawood were able to recover from such a shock so quickly. The last remaining officer scanned the Joxter, seemingly processing the situation. Joxter would have been offended but he honestly understood. The kid might as well be with a stranger since Joxter was so rarely in the valley.

“Snufkin’s father, right?” The officer asked, earning a nod from Joxter and Moomin alike. They let out a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness.” they breathed, pulling a handkerchief from their front pocket. “Moominpappa is still with Snufkin and Too-Ticky right now. It may be a little while before they arrive. Would you like to accompany me to the police station?” The officer asked Moomin, pausing before adding on: “Or at least to a doctor.”

Moomin seemed to actually pause to think for a moment before shaking his head fiercely. “No, I think I’d like to be here when Pappa gets here.”

“I see.” The officer hummed. “Well, when Moominpappa arrives, they’ll likely be headed straight for a doctor. Will you two be alright here until then?” They asked before their eyes flitted to Joxter's face. “Given you’ll be staying here with him, of course.”

Joxter placed a hand on Moomin’s shoulder. “Of course I will. I think we’d all feel better if a professional took a look at his ankle, anyways. It’s certainly out of my comfort zone.” He expressed, patting Moomin’s shoulder. “Speaking of which, he should probably sit back down, huh?” Joxter quirked an eyebrow and Moomin sighed, nodding quietly. The Joxter led the kid back to the bench, sitting him back down. 

Moomin’s heart was racing, regardless of how calm he seemed in his posture. His eyes glimmered with a childlike hope unlike anything you could imagine. His pappa was still okay and he’d be there soon! His tail thumped on the bench contently. The Joxter sat down beside Moomin, a small smile on his face. It was nice to see the kid full of energy now… Joxter couldn’t help but still feel a slight bit of worry, though. That one hunter may be arrested now but anyone could be out to get the kid still. Things just weren’t over yet. He slung his arms over the back of the bench, leaning back.

The two of them were waiting all through the afternoon. Moomin had to come up with other things to do with himself besides people watching-- even that grew stale for the troll. The Joxter was falling asleep at this point, understandably so. Moomin sighed and leaned against the mumrik. He had a smell akin to Snufkin’s, but honestly a little worse. However, the strongest scent was pipe-weed. Tobacco’s strong scent was always somewhat comforting to Moomin. Moominpappa and Snufkin both smoked. His ears lowered slightly. Oh how he hated this waiting!

Moomin ended up occupying himself by trying to remember stories he’d read over the years. It kept his focus for a while, even when the loudest of trains roared past. When Moomin finally looked at the clock, he was almost shocked to find it was late in the afternoon. The spaces between trains were growing longer now and the crowds were beginning to thin out. Moomin whined a bit, his good paw tapping the tile floor beneath him and turned his gaze to the back doors and through the large. A dim light shone through winter’s clouds; the sun peeking in ever so slightly… it wouldn’t last, but Moomin couldn’t help but feel his chest grow light. He couldn’t wait for spring.

He had been staring off for so long, he had hardly noticed when shapes shifted in one of the windows. His eyes flitted to the corner where he spotted Too-Ticky’s striped shirt moving along the platforms outside. Moomin grinned and turned to the Joxter.

“They’ve made it!” He cheered, watching Joxter wake up.

“What..?” He grumbled sleepily.

“They’re here!” He repeated. The Joxter rubbed his eyes and stood, pulling his bag over his shoulders with a huff.

“Mm… I suppose I’ll forgive you for waking me up… again.” He turned and helped Moomin up once more and led him over to the doors that led out to the platform. Moomin’s arm was holding on across the Joxter’s back, holding tight. The Joxter pulled the door open, smiling at the weary travellers. “Hullo there.”

Snufkin stared at the two, eyes wide. 

“Pappa…” He whispered. The Joxter was there, right there again! Snufkin couldn’t help but feel how much he’d missed his father, especially after all of this. To think, Moomintroll was with his dad of all people! A smile came over his face. Moomintroll looked like he wanted to rush forward and hug Moominpappa but he quite obviously was holding himself back.

“Pappa!” Moomin was looking over Moominpappa’s eyes round with relief and worry, mixing together into one confused puddle. Moominpappa’s eyes were damp at the sight of his son, a smile making its way over him.

“Moomin! You’re alright!” He exclaimed, glancing up at the Joxter, gratitude quite visible on his face Moomin was looking over all of Moominpappa’s new bandages, his smile twitching a bit. 

“Y-yes, of course Pappa! But…” He didn’t finish. He absolutely did not like seeing Pappa in such a state… Too-Ticky gave the boy a restrained sympathetic look.

“Here-- we should get him to a doctor.” She looked over at the Joxter. “Could you trade places with Snufkin? I think he could use a break.” She asked, nodding to Snufkin. Snufkin nodded and stepped away. Wordlessly, he went over to Moomin. Too-Ticky grunted as Papa’s weight was left all on her shoulders. The Joxter quickly filled in where his son was, glancing over Pappa just as scrupulously as Moomin had. Too-Ticky continued to speak soon after. “I’m sorry that we don’t have time for reunions… We need to get Moominpappa to a doctor, quickly.”


	31. Chapter 31

The walk to find a hospital was mostly silent. Too-Ticky asked shopkeeps for directions and every now and then, Joxter and Moominpappa would exchange a few words quietly. Moomintroll, who was pressed against Snufkin, couldn’t help but feel uneasy due to it all. Beyond just his worry over his father’s condition, the sneaking paranoia was making its way into his head. What if that mymble from the day prior returned? What if there wasn’t some nice person to stop him and his posse? His ears were pinned to his head.

Snufkin looked at Moomin, feeling just how close he was. The Joxter’s jacket was still draped over Moomin’s shoulders. Moomin’s head jerked every now and then at any sort of commotion that they passed. It made Snufkin feel absolutely awful. Here Moomin was, a bright, outgoing child absolutely demolished by the harsher side of reality. He sighed and turned his eyes to look at Joxter and Moominpappa.

For the most part, the folk on the street kept their distance, thank goodness. Too-Ticky glanced over her shoulder at the boys.

“Now, I don’t think I need to do this but once Moominpappa is settled, I’ll need to contact the inspector… I need you two to stay with your fathers.” 

Snufkin nodded. “Of course.” He said, voice cracking a bit. He’d been quiet the whole walk, his voice wasn’t ready to speak. He cringed a bit but said nothing. Too-Ticky hadn’t even registered the noise, just continuing along their way. The Joxter, however, was easily keeping an eye on the two. The man was worried that the kids could just vanish if no one was watching… Snufkin’s eyes met his father’s.

“I… Well, I certainly wasn’t expecting to see you here… How did you find Moomin?” Snufkin asked him, looking to Moomin as well. Moomin perked at the sound of his name.

“I wasn’t expecting it either, but I’m very grateful.” Moomin noted. Joxter nodded.

“I’m grateful as well. I didn’t know my forebodings would be so serious, but I’m glad I listened to them.” He explained, looking back to the path ahead of them. He could see a sign that bore the typical cross symbol hanging from a building’s overhang just ahead of them, swaying in the cold breeze. “Regardless of that, I’ll be sticking around for a little while after things are all over.” Joxter stated firmly, a twitch in his whiskers. Snufkin only hummed in response, but he was really quite relieved. He’d never be the one to say he’d feel more secure with his father around but that may just be the case.

“Let’s not get too ahead of ourselves.” Too-Ticky warned. “We likely won’t be able to return to the valley for a little while now. Winter is in full swing. The important thing is we focus on Moominpappa and Moomintroll getting better so they can make the journey over the mountains once the time comes.”   
“Or we can go by boat.” Joxter offered. Too-Ticky shook her head.

“Not with all of that ice, sadly. The sea will probably still be frozen, and it could be until May if the weather doesn’t go our way.” She hummed, looking at the doctor’s office sign as they came upon the building.

“Well, that depends on the kind of boat we can get.” 

“I highly doubt we can find an icebreaker that’s headed towards the valley.” She retorted. Moomin’s ears were slowly lowering. It all just meant he wouldn’t see Mamma for months! Oh he hoped she was doing well. He was drawn out of his thoughts when Pappa finally spoke up.

“Of course, if Hodgekins just happened to show up like Joxter did, it would be an entirely different situation…” He mumbled, blinking through his exhaustion. 

“That’s an idea!” Joxter exclaimed. “He’s always improving his Amphibian, even after all these years; perhaps it could manage the trip! And I’m certain he’d be willing to come-- especially given everything that’s been going on.” Joxter looked to Too-Ticky. “We could give you the address and you could try and send a telegram his way as well!” 

Too-Ticky nodded and shut her eyes for a moment. “If you two think it will work, we certainly could try.” They were all grateful for some sort of conversation filling the stale air amongst them. It made the rest of their trek to the doctor’s seem quick, though they were pretty close already. Snufkin got the door while the adults entered the building, hoisting the injured Moominpappa into the front office. There was one secretary there and no one waiting around, so hopefully Moominpappa and Moomintroll could be taken care of there. Too-Ticky approached the front desk, she and the rest sticking out like weeds in such a clean and modernized space. 

As the adults spoke, Snufkin helped Moomin sit down in one of the seats that were around the office. Afterwards, he sat in a seat beside him. He wasn’t comfortable in such a new-looking place, on new-looking furniture, but he could manage it for his family. He watched the adults, listening to them discussing Moominpappa’s state for a moment. About his fatigue, the injuries he’s gotten, and if they could afford getting him the help he needed. Snufkin sighed, resting his head in his hand. How ridiculous was it that they’d have to pay to address injuries that could very well be life-threatening? He hardly understood that. Moomin was quite obviously worried by the whole discussion-- well he was worried before it too but hearing everything articulated was entirely different.

Snufkin looked at his friend for a moment before grabbing his paw.

“Moominpappa will be okay. No doctor in his right mind would just turn him away. I know it.” Moomin looked back at Snufkin, a small smile tugging at his lips. He nodded quietly and leaned against him. Snufkin took a deep breath, eyes flitting to the Joxter. The older mumrik was looking at him curiously. Snufkin’s face reddened at the sudden attention and he quickly averted his eyes again.

The Joxter had been pulled out of the conversation by the sound of his son speaking. Damn, he supposed no one had really gone to check on them, huh? He felt a trickling of guilt and looked at Too-Ticky. 

“I-- er…” 

Too-Ticky hummed knowingly, reading him without so much as a look. The man was a father, after all. “Go ahead and take care of the kids, I can take care of Moominpappa now.” She shot him a glance. “Besides, I think Pappa would appreciate that anyways.” She smiled a bit and shifted her hold on Pappa so Joxter could slip away. The Joxter nodded and headed over to where the kids were sitting. Soon after he had left, the secretary was leading Too-Ticky and Moominpappa into another room.

The Joxter plopped down cross-legged in front of the kids, pulling his hat off and dropping it onto Snufkin’s head. Snufkin yelped, pushing the brim up a bit, giving his father an odd look.

“Hey kiddos.” He greeted, keeping his voice low. “You two doing okay?” He asked, looking between the kids. Moomin shrugged, feeling his eyes water again. Joxter frowned and patted the young troll’s knee. “Hey, look, it’s okay to be scared.” He reassured him. “Once Moominpappa’s all settled in there, you can just be with him as long as you need to be.” After he was done speaking and silence fell once more, the Joxter turned to look at his son. Snufkin was still holding Moomintroll’s paw, though his face was still shrouded in his father’s hat. Joxter stared at the boy quietly, feeling a slight pang of… something or other in his chest. He ran a hand over his forehead and quickly pulled Snufkin close to him. “Missed ya kid. Wish I would have gone home in time… before anything too bad could happen.” He muttered with a sigh, resting his head against Snufkin’s.

Moomin hesitantly released Snufkin’s hand and watched his friend engulf Joxter in a hug. Moomin smiled a bit. He was glad Snufkin had warmed up to having a father... yet he couldn’t help but feel jealousy somewhere in him. He tried not to feel it, he really did! Snufkin deserved to have his father! Moomin just really wanted to hug his own pappa tight and never let go! But... Pappa was hurt; hugging him would just hurt him worse if anything. Moomin gripped his own two paws together. Snufkin had hidden his face in the Joxter’s shoulder, eyes wet.

“I never thought I could ever be so glad to see you.” Snufkin joked, though there was a sorrowful sound behind his voice. Joxter pulled back from the hug, cupping his son’s face. He was smiling though bit by bit his smile fell. He carefully brushed a thumb over the cut on Snufkin’s cheek. Snufkin sighed and just hugged his father again. He’d rather be hugged than talk about that night. The Joxter didn’t say anything for a moment, just keeping his hand firmly pressed to Snufkin’s back. He didn’t like to witness his stoic son shivering in his arms but Snufkin was still a boy.

“I gotcha, kid.” He sighed. “You don’t gotta be all grown up just yet, okay?” Joxter spoke in such a genuine way. He’d been trying for quite some time to become a better father since he returned. At least, a father that Snufkin and all of his siblings deserved. Snufkin nodded into his father’s chest wordlessly.

Moomin looked away quietly, gazing towards the room Too-Ticky and that secretary lady had disappeared through. Not long after, a fillyjonk in what appeared to be a doctor’s uniform descended the stairs that sat off in the corner-- the only thing that seemed aged in the whole room. The fillyjonk nodded to Moomin and went into the room. Moomin blinked. What on earth was that supposed to mean? Oh, he didn’t know what to do!” He groaned, slumping over, elbows planted to his thighs. His eyes unconsciously trained themselves onto his bandaged ankle. It still looked nice since Joxter had taken care of it last night. Goodness, that was just last night! It felt like an eternity had passed. Though, he supposed time lost its meaning a while ago. His tail pressed against the back of his chair, ears straining to hear whatever could be going on on the other side of the door, but it was no good. He felt so… alone.

The two beside him soon separated, smiling with teary eyes. Moomin’s eyes, though, were still trained on the door. Snufkin seemed to take notice first, smile faltering.

“Moomin…” He murmured, jerking the troll out of whatever daze he was in. Moomin looked at Snufkin, ears low.

“S-sorry.” Moomin said quickly and quietly, squeezing his paws even tighter.

Snufkin gently took hold of his shoulder. “Hey, you didn’t do anything wrong, Moomin.” He looked at the door for a minute, frowning. “I wish we just knew what was going on in there.” He grunted, adjusting his father’s hat almost like it was his own. The Joxter hummed, turning to look as well, stretching a bit like a cat before settling back down. 

“Probably just redressing wounds and such… Then they’ll probably let us in.” Joxter explained, leaning back against the chairs-- including the boys-- and shutting his eyes. Snufkin rolled his eyes at the behaviour and quietly lifted Joxter’s hat from his head, examining the article a bit before simply plopping it back onto his father’s head.

“I’d assume as much… but not being able to see it…”

The Joxter shrugged. “Doctors need space. ‘Sides, that Too-Ticky girl is in there so she can help keep an eye on things.” Joxter pulled the hat down over his eyes. Moomin grunted and slumped again. He just wished  _ he _ could help… But he supposed Too-Ticky knew more than him… and he was still useless with his stupid ankle anyways! He gripped the edges of Joxter’s jacket, glaring at his lap. 

“I just… I should be able to do something for him.” Moomin said softly. “It’s my fault he got hurt in the first place.” Venom slipped into his voice, his fur puffing up. Snufkin stared silently at Moomintroll, eyebrows drawn together, concern lacing his features. He didn’t move for a moment, but soon enough he sighed and drew his friend close.

“How many times do we have to tell you that it’s not your fault?” He asked, gently soothing down the raised fur with his hands. 

The Joxter turned back to look at the kids. “He’ll probably keep thinking like that until he can actually be with Moominpappa, you know.” He hummed. “But keep in mind, young Moomin, he’ll tell you it’s not your fault as well.” The Joxter turned back to look at the door, tail twitching. The three fell into silent waiting again, the kids still sitting there in eachothers arms. After what felt like ages though, the door opened and the doctor stepped out, shooting the three a half-hearted smile. He spoke with a professional and assured tone.

“You three can go see him now.”


	32. Chapter 32

Moomin stood quickly (with Snufkin’s help, of course) and Joxter stepped out of the way to let the boys go in first, ruffling Snufkin’s hair as he passed. The doctor regarded the two kids for a moment before gesturing for them to stop. He made eye contact with Moomin, examining him.

“I was told that I would need to check your ankle very soon, yes? Would it be alright if I took a look at it after you’ve met with your father?” He asked, still sounding far too stiff and professional without a glimmer of genuine concern for the boy’s mental wellbeing. Moomin looked over his shoulder to the doorway and nodded. He was just anxious to actually be with his father! The doctor hummed, a service smile on his face. “Well, just let my secretary know when you’re ready, then-- so she can fetch me.”

“Yessir, of course.” Moomin said, still too focused on Moominpappa to really care about the doctor’s words. The doctor then waved the two off and they headed into the room. Too-Ticky greeted them kindly, checking over Moomin with her eyes. His ankle still seemed very much swollen, but he was able to move fairly quickly with Snufkin at his side.

The room they entered was fairly simple. It didn’t seem far too sterile and white, thank goodness, making it a fair bit more welcoming than some other doctor’s rooms that Snufkin had seen in his life. At least it was cleaner than the bathhouse or in the forest; there was a far lower chance of getting an infection. The bed sat in the middle of the room, chairs at either side.

Pappa was half-asleep in bed, though he was determined to see his boy before he succumbed to slumber. Thankfully, he wasn’t in as much pain as he was earlier thanks to whatever medicine he was given. Honestly, he had been far too tired to care. He smiled at Moomin as he entered, extending his good arm out to hold his son. Snufkin helped Moomin hurry over to Pappa’s bedside, staying there even after he had released Moomin-- just to be safe. Moomin leaned against the bed and carefully wrapped his arms around Moominpappa, nuzzling his muzzle into his father’s shoulder. 

Moomin spoke softly, feeling Moominpappa’s head begin to rest against his own. “Oh Pappa, I was so worried!” He didn’t mean to sound too vulnerable but his voice broke off into a whimper. He shut his eyes and hid himself further in Moominpappa’s embrace. Pappa ran his paw along Moomin’s neck soothingly, his own eyes shut.

“You and me both, Moomin… I promise you that’ll I be just fine, though. I’m a hardy moomin. A tumble isn’t going to keep me down.” He said, grinning and opening his eyes to look at his son. Even Snufkin had felt some sort of relief to hear the pride returning to Moominpappa’s voice.

Moomin nodded. “I know, I know…” He giggled a bit, though something in the back of his head said ‘now we both know it wasn’t just a tumble’, but Moomin pushed it away, just allowing himself to relax in his pappa’s arms. The Joxter stepped into the room, electing to stand next to Too-Ticky. He leaned against the wall, smiling a bit at his old friend. Moominpappa cast a tired smile back and shut his eyes.

“No force in this whole wide world could take me from my family.” He hummed, his cheek resting against Moomin’s forehead. The Joxter took a moment, letting this moment linger for a while before he spoke.

“I think we’ve got things handled here now.” He said, eyes still looking towards the pair of moomins just ahead of him, then to his son. He couldn’t help but feel a little proud every time he looked at Snufkin… He breathed out a sigh before looking over at Too-Ticky

Too-Ticky nodded and pushed herself off the wall, pulling her hands from her pockets.. “So it would seem.” She stretched and continued, making sure everyone had heard her. “I’ll go see if I can’t get a hold of our friends.” She waved at the others and headed out of the room, starting to chat with the secretary about where she would find a telegram office. Joxter wished there was a better way to reach Hodgekins… Telegrams charged by the word! Hopefully there was enough to cover that. At the very least, it would be good to talk to Hodgekins first. The police in town from Moominvalley would be able to talk to the inspector and he could relay that information to Moominhouse, but who knew who else could talk to Hodgekins.

Moominpappa soon passed out, his arm loosely looped around Moomin’s shoulder. Moomin hadn’t even noticed, eyes still shut tight. He listened carefully to Moominpappa’s gentle breathing, relaxing ever so slightly. Moomin nuzzled Moominpappa again before carefully pulling away with a smile. His leg almost immediately gave out as soon as he had moved away from the bed, but Snufkin was there to catch him. Snufkin’s arms wrapped themselves under Moomin’s arms, over his chest.

“Moomin..!” He tried to keep his voice hushed. “Are you alright?”

Moomin nodded, taking a deep breath“We should get my leg checked out while he’s still asleep.” Moomin said, looking back at the mumrik. Snufkin agreed quietly and helped Moomin readjust himself. He looked at his father from the corner of his eye. Joxter gave the boys a nod.

“Just make sure that you get to stay together.” He warned, making stern eye contact with Snufkin. Snufkin’s grip tightened immediately. He nodded quickly.

“We will do our best.” He reassured before leading Moomin to the door. Moomin held onto Snufkin, ears low.

“I hope they let you stay with me… I don’t wanna be alone for a while.” He muttered, glaring at his paws.

“They let Too-Ticky stay with Moominpappa, so they’ve got to.” Snufkin stated before pushing the door open, holding it to help Moomin through. The secretary looked up from whatever scheduling or paper organizing she was up to as soon as the door had opened. She gave the two a small wave.

“I suppose you’re ready to see the doctor?” She asked, leaning back in her chair. She set down her fountain pen and pushed away from the desk. She stood, rolling her shoulders and walking around to the boys. Moomin looked up at her.

“Yes… and I’d like Snufkin to stay with me, if that’s okay.” Moomin answered, a slight waver entering his voice. She smiled-- a much more reassuring smile than the doctors’, honestly… She nodded.

“Of course, kid. I’ll send the doctor down-- he’ll probably have to check either in here or in the room with your father… We have quite a small office here.” She chuckled a bit and headed up the old stairs. For a while, the only noise was that of whatever was going on outside. 

Surprisingly, it was Snufkin who broke the silence, turning to face Moomin fully. He seemed a bit hesitant but managed to get his words out. His free hand messed with his hair in a futile attempt to shy away as he spoke.

“Moomin.” He managed before pausing. “Now that things are… are over now… I’d like to ask-- nevermind this is a terrible time to ask. We don’t even  _ know _ if anything is over yet.” His hand slid from his scalp to his face. “Forget I said anything.” Moomin giggled a bit and pulled Snufkin’s hand away.

“It’s quite alright, Snufkin… It’s been terribly confusing these past few days… I-I thought you were going to get killed just about two days ago! Can you believe that?” He sighed and rested his face on Snufkin’s shoulder. “I’m glad I thought wrong.”

“I’m glad as well.” Snufkin patted Moomin’s nose. “Goodness, it feels like that was almost an eternity ago.”

“It feels like every day is an eternity!” Moomin exclaimed before cringing. He hoped the walls weren’t too thin… Snufkin snorted out a short laugh.

“I suppose so, Moomintroll.” He was about to continue speaking, but the doctor came downstairs with his secretary, cutting their chat short. He nodded to the two in a quiet greeting.

“Now… just based on what I’ve heard I already have my suspicions regarding your ankle. Go ahead and take a seat, if you’d please.” Snufkin and Moomin sat together, Moomin’s paw grasping Snufkin’s hand as they did so. The doctor hummed and knelt down. “Now… This won’t be too intensive, but it may hurt a lot,” He warned. “So it’s a good thing you’re holding your friend’s hand.” Moomin tensed preemptively as the doctor reached forward to feel Moomin’s swollen ankle and calf. Moomin hissed in pain as pressure was applied, squeezing Snufkin’s hand. The doctor was quiet for a moment, but he looked back to his secretary. “Alright. He’ll need a splint most definitely.” He stated.

Snufkin couldn’t help but feel a bit annoyed that it wasn’t a more in depth examination, but he supposed they’d take what they could get… Moomin looked up at the doctor, ears still low.

“What exactly is the matter..?” He asked.

The doctor watched his secretary go about preparing a splint for Moomin, yet he still answered the question. “Well, I was told you were shot in the ankle. Luckily it only ruptured the achilles tendon and keeping your foot immobilized should help the tendon grow back together and heal itself.” Moomin didn’t exactly understand what the doctor said, but he was very glad that it would be able to heal on its own. The doctor soon left again, leaving his secretary to handle the boy’s ankle. Snufkin rolled his eyes and looked at Moomin. At least they knew Moomin would be okay.

The secretary showed the boys how to put the splint on. She was patient with them, making sure they understood completely. It was a bit fancier than what Snufkin knew of, but he didn’t mind that too much… It probably meant it would just work better. 

“I’m sorry about the doctor’s demeanor. This season has been rough for the office, but it doesn’t really excuse it.” She sighed, making sure the splint was tight enough. Moomin was quiet, thinking. The splint was uncomfortable, but he supposed he could deal with it.

“Thank you for your help.” He said eventually, looking up from the splint and to the secretary’s face. She was old and appeared as though she would be rather strict, but she was very kind. She smiled and stood up. 

“Of course. Now, you two should go back to your fathers. It’s better than sitting around out here, hm?” With that, she headed back to her desk and opened a filing cabinet. Snufkin hummed at how boring that work had seemed and stood up, turning to look over at Moomin.

“Well, shall we?” He asked, offering his hand. Moomin nodded, pulling himself up and leaning on Snufkin. His leg ached of course, but since his ankle didn’t move, it wasn’t quite as bad. Regardless, he hobbled along beside Snufkin back to the room.

Moominpappa was still snoring peacefully in bed, but now Joxter was slumped over in a chair nearby, seeming to have fallen asleep as well. The boys quietly made their way to the other side of the bed and sat down; Moomin sat in a chair and Snufkin sat beside it, leaning against Moomin. Goodness he was tired now… He had been walking for some time. He was glad he’d done it, of course, but he needed to sleep. The warmth of the building quickly lulled him to sleep there on the floor.

It wasn’t long before everyone in the room was sound asleep. It was the best sleep they had had in quite some time. They were warm and safe now. However, before Moomin had fallen asleep, he slid out of the chair to join Snufkin on the floor and nestled himself against his friend. It took him a moment to fall asleep, though. He was listening and watching Snufkin, allowing awe to rush over him. Snufkin was still alive. Moomin smiled and nuzzled his face into Snufkin’s chest, dozing there for the evening.


	33. Chapter 33

Too-Ticky hadn’t returned to the doctor’s office until quite some time after she had first left. She’d gone to the police station first-- there she’d used their phone to speak with the police inspector back in Moominvalley and discuss their current situation. The relief in his voice when Too-Ticky told him everyone was alive was heartbreaking, honestly. She understood, though. Moominvalley was left alone to wonder, completely unsure of what would happen next… After she was done with the call, she headed off to the telegram office. It was a bit of a walk for her but it wasn’t anything she couldn’t handle.The only issue was that she didn’t have too much money, so she’d had to figure out how to shorten the message and still get the urgency across. Eventually she’d settled on: 

“Moomins stranded away from home with Joxter and son

Requesting help”

It wasn’t the best message, but hopefully it got the message across… She couldn’t explain absolutely everything in one telegram so they’d have to figure these things out as they went.

She had made sure that the doctor’s office was the sender address as she had a feeling they would be stuck there for a while but otherwise everything was just a waiting game. Too-Ticky just wished that she could give the kids a solid answer. They really deserved that at the very least. She stepped into the office and nodded to the secretary before going into the room.

Too-Ticky smiled, glancing over everyone. They were all asleep and she didn’t really blame them. She was exhausted as well but she didn’t know if she could rest too much since so much was still in the air. She leaned against the wall, taking a deep breath. She hoped the inspector told Moominmamma and Mymble how things were… and Little My of course. Goodness, Little My was in quite the state when she’d left-- they all were. At least Moomin and his father knew that their family was okay but the other way around… 

Too-Ticky shut her eyes, rubbing her temples. She often felt overwhelmed with this whole situation. What she wouldn’t give to just rest out under the stars with a hot drink at a time like this… Yet now she had to wait. They all had to.

It took a day or two before they had heard anything back from Hodgkins. The doctor wasn’t happy with the amount of people holed up in that room, but he let it slide since Moominpappa was still under recovery. Pappa was still pretty medicated, but he was doing better after a lot of rest. Too-Ticky let him and Joxter look over the telegram as soon as she got it. Needless to say it was a relief to everyone.

Hodgkins had said that he’d come as soon as he could and apologized for any weather-related delays. His Amphibian wasn’t the most efficient with winter weather, but it definitely could survive so long as there weren’t anymore great blizzards rolling through. Winter had led to slow work for him so he wasn’t too upset about coming to help his friends. Of course, having no real idea of how long Hodgkins would take led to the issue of finding some place to stay once Moominpappa could leave.

Moomin and Snufkin stayed in the room with Pappa while Joxter and Too-Ticky were out looking. The boys spoke a lot, even while Moominpappa was sleeping. Whenever Pappa was awake, however, they involved him in their conversations. Pappa and Snufkin still had some stories they had yet to tell, after all. Moomin could tell there was something on Snufkin’s mind, though, regardless of how many times Snufkin could say it could wait until they got back home.

Moomin looked over at Moominpappa’s bed, making sure his father was asleep before looking at Snufkin. He took hold of Snufkin’s shoulder gently to make sure he could get a good look at his face.

“Snufkin… do you want to talk about what you’ve been thinking about so much? Pappa’s asleep so it’s just you and me. Nothing to worry about, I promise.” He said. Moomin’s smile was gentle, yet genuine. Snufkin’s chest felt tight for a moment. Snufkin had noticed how all of the Moomins had that smile and, really, it was such a soothing thing. Something about the warmth behind it or the way their eyes crinkled always made Snufkin feel at home. He blew out a breath he hadn’t noticed he had been holding and rubbed the back of his neck.

“I still don’t think it’s the right time.” He muttered, eyes flitting away for a moment before landing back on Moomin’s face. “But if you insist.” Snufkin reached up and patted the paw that rested on his shoulder, processing his thoughts for a moment before speaking again. “The night we thought I was going to die… I wanted to-- to see if that was.... If it still applies.” He managed, ears growing hot. Moomin’s eyes widened slightly.

“Of course, Snufkin..! My feelings aren’t that fickle, I can assure you.” Moomin’s shoulders rose, growing tense.

Snufkin just about immediately had to backtrack there. “No, No… I’m not saying they are. I was just… scared.” He said quickly, releasing Moomin’s paw and adjusting his hold, folding their fingers together. “You understand, right?” 

Moomin sighed and nodded, squeezing Snufkin’s hand. “Well I still like you.” He reassured, tail thumping on the floor. Snufkin smiled, looking into the soft blue of Moomin’s eyes. Then he leaned over, pressing his lips to Moomin’s fuzzy cheek. Moomin’s fur rose, growing redder by the second. He sat there for a moment, ears sticking straight up as he processed everything. Suddenly, he laughed and hugged Snufkin tight, nuzzling his cheek.

Snufkin laughed as well, hugging Moomin back. “Goodness, Moomin!” His hands sank into Moomin’s fur-- the troll’s thick winter undercoat was very soft still. However, their laughter ground to halt not long after it began as Moominpappa was woken up by the noise. Pappa groaned and stretched before looking over the side of the bed to see the two boys better. Both of them were beet red from their embarrassment. Pappa tutted, smiling.

“Now, now..! What on earth were you two doing?” Snufkin knew it was very obvious what they were doing. He looked up at Moominpappa, confused at the playful tone the older Moomin had. Why wasn’t he mad or something? He knew the Moomins weren’t the most typical folk, but this was still somewhat of a stark difference from what Snufkin had understood from all his travels. ...well, he supposed the whole situation with Thingumy and Bob should have tipped him off, but this was Moominpappa’s son! Nevertheless, Moomin was the first to answer Pappa’s question. 

“I told Snufkin that I liked him, Pappa!” His tail swished happily. Snufkin’s face, somehow, grew even redder. Moominpappa blinked for a moment, confusion crossing his face before it was quickly replaced by understanding. Moominpappa chuckled.

“Ah, good for you, my boy!” He congratulated his son before lying back down. “It seems you’ll have quite the decision ahead of you once we’re back home.” He sighed, shutting his eyes. He was too tired to process this information, honestly. He was just ready to go back to sleep.

“Decision..?” Moomin cocked his head. Before he could get any sort of elaboration on the matter, though, the door to the room opened and Too-Ticky and the Joxter entered, having returned from their lookaround of the town. Joxter stepped in the front, crossing over to the bed and plopping down on the side so he could easily see both Pappa and the boys. He let out a cat-like yawn before speaking. Pappa begrudgingly opened his eyes and listened.

“Afternoon, you three.” Joxter greeted, stretching. “Any news on your end before we talk business?” 

“Nothing too important.” Snufkin said quickly. “I think we should figure out where we’ll go before everything else.”

“I suppose you’re right, but if there was any news about those injuries, we’d want to know.” Joxter hummed, leaning back on his hands. Too-Ticky closed the door gently and stood beside the others, crossing her arms as Joxter explained their situation. “Adawood’s police put together a place for use to stay while we wait for Hodgkins so we won’t have to worry about money for the most part. I’m having a hard time trusting the police here, though so we’ll have to keep on guard but... We can go there as soon as Moominpappa’s clear to go.” 

While it went unsaid, everyone knew that would be soon. Life was monotonous and scary for a short time, even after they had all left to go to the room that the police station had put together. Moominvalley’s own officers were sent back to the valley since Adawood had things handled so it was completely up to Adawood’s police-- which Joxter didn’t like. He just kept hoping Hodgkins would show up every day. 

Moominpappa and Moomintroll were starting to get around easier-- they seemed to recover fairly quickly given the right treatment. However, the two tried not to leave the room often. In turn, Snufkin usually stayed with them, though he would go out with Joxter when Too-Ticky promised to stay with the Moomins. He had to admit, though, of course he was feeling confined by that room. He’s felt trapped through this whole ordeal! His desire for freedom and isolation tore at his chest and mind sometimes, especially in his sleep.

His emotions were at war. His love for his friends and family, his fear, his suffocation, everything felt like it was at odds. Snufkin wanted freedom as much as he wanted to just go home. Maybe he was confusing some feelings, but he didn’t think he could figure things out right then.

No one had noticed Hodgkins had arrived until he was right at the door. He knocked rather tentatively, which was odd but who could complain? The Joxter had opened the door, greeting his old friend with a large grin. Hodgkins smiled back, allowing Joxter to hug him.

“Hullo, Joxter. I’m glad to see you, too.” He greeted before looking over at the others. He was glad he came in time, really. Hodgkins had worried that he would be late, well, more like those criminals he’d heard about would catch up with Moominpappa before he could arrive. He waved tentatively at the children before going to Moominpappa, frowning at the sight of his bandaged injuries. Poor fellow. “Well, I still have to refuel before we can head off to Moominvalley, but you all could wait on the Amphibian if that would make you feel better. It might seem a bit cramped, but it’s not any worse than being stuck in one room for a few days.”

Moominpappa nodded. “Of course, Hodgkins, thank you for everything.” He hummed, smiling. “It’s great to see you, regardless of the reasons why.” He stood up, thankfully not too affected by his head injury at that moment and walked over. They didn’t have much of anything with them, so they wouldn’t need to pack anything up. Joxter and Too-Ticky both lifted their bags and that was about it. Once Moomin was up and moving, they were all outside.

The air was still just as laden with smoke as it was when Moomin had just arrived and there were just as many people, too, but now he didn’t feel as scared. One could say it was strength in numbers, but it was probably just his happiness outweighing the fear. He and Snufkin were walking close to their fathers as Hodgkins led them along the streets to the edge of town where the Amphibian was. The Amphibian had gone through many iterations over the years, but one could easily recognize Hodgkin’s handiwork.

Stepping onto that vessel was almost like stepping miles closer to home. Moomin was excited to get moving, to go home to Moominhouse. There was still a bit of winter left, though, as excruciatingly long as it had been that far… Moomin looked out the window, out at the dreary cityscape. It was still rather dark… but that didn’t frighten him here. He didn’t know what would happen when he got home. He didn’t know if they’d try to hibernate or if they’d be too frightened to. He didn’t know many things… but he was ready to go and face it anyways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just had a hard time writing this chapter tbh oof


	34. Chapter 34

The trip over the frozen scenery, towards Moominvalley, seemed to pass like a breeze. The Amphibian seemed to travel over the ice and snow with ease-- though they had a few issues with the weather a few times. Moominpappa thrived with his old friends, leading him to recover fairly quickly. He was feeling much better by the time they got to the valley. 

The valley was still covered with snow. Large drifts had accumulated all around, sometimes shrouding buildings entirely. Due to how deep the snow seemed, they had to be extra careful moving around. Luckily they could see the top of Moominhouse when they got near the area. A massive snow drift had settled against the building. Moomin smiled down at his home, glad to see it again. He’d grown used to seeing how it looked in the winter, so he wasn’t too shocked by the extreme nature of it all. Snufkin, however, was cold just looking at it.

“Moominvalley really is like a different place entirely in winter.” Moomin noted, smiling at Snufkin. “Little My and I always have lots of fun!” He added, gazing out at the fields of white. He was glad the sun was still hiding. The sunlight on the snow would be blinding! Snufkin had smiled too but couldn’t help but feel… odd about it. Perhaps it was guilt? He shook it off for now, though. There was no sense in feeling guilty when they were all home.

The noise of The Amphibian must have roused the inhabitants of Moominhouse, as it wasn’t long until Moomin’s window was opened and pale faces peered up at them. The boys waved down. Moomin had to force his tears away. His mamma was there in the window, waving back. Hodgekins took great care in docking the vehicle, not wanting to damage anything that could be under the snow-- well, more importantly, not to damage the Amphibian. From the window, the boys could see Little My hopping out of the window, hurrying over with a grin on her face. As soon as the Amphibian’s doors opened, Little My practically leapt at her brother.

“Ohhh you jerk! You made me so worried!” She scolded, hugging his legs. Her smile never left her face, though, completely undermining her anger. Snufkin laughed a bit and lifted her up so he could hug her back.

“I know and I’m sorry. Let’s get inside so we don’t have to be in the cold any longer than we have to, alright?” Snufkin asked, already feeling the cold biting at his face. Joxter nodded, ruffling Little My’s hair, ruining the bun there.

“It’s good to see you again, Little My.” He hummed before he spotted Mymble Jr. helping Moominmamma out of the window. He waved at them with a grin and clapped his son on the shoulder. “I forgot how much I missed you all…” He murmured. Little My looked up at her stepfather with a grateful look in her eyes, but she said nothing. Mymble and Moominmamma were making their way across the snow, so Joxter gently moved his kids out of the way so the Moomins could properly reunite.

Moomin hurried out of the Amphibian, stumbling on his splinted leg. He was home… He reached out as he ran for his mother.

“Mamma!” He cried as he went, eyes tearing up. Moominmamma met him halfway, kneeling in the snow, hugging him close and nuzzling him. Her tears fell onto his fur. “Oh Mamma, please don’t cry..! I’m okay now!” He urged, gripping her fur gently in his paws. Mamma’s body was wracked with sobs, squeezing him tight to her. He tried to pull away to look at her but his mamma was quite strong. 

“I was so frightened… I thought I would lose you.” She whispered, voice breaking. Moomin clenched his teeth and buried his face in her fur, allowing his own tears to fall. The two sat there, rocking quietly in the snow. Moominpappa was with them soon, engulfing the two in a hug. He was quiet for a moment, just listening to his family’s breaths before he gave Moominmamma a kiss and spoke.

“Oh Mamma, am I so glad to see you…” He said softly, resting his head against hers. “I missed you very much-- I-I was scared someone would hurt you while we were gone! Or… w-well… nevermind all of that. We’re all together now and we’ll all make sure nothing like this ever happens again.” He declared, voice firm. The three of them sat like that in their tight embrace for a moment before Pappa heard the crunching of snow under boots. His ears flicked to hear better as he sat up, releasing his wife so he could see who it was. Mymble Jr. was leading her family into the house, fussing about the cold. Pappa stood up, grunting at his still-sore body and held a hand out to his wife. “Come on now, we should probably get inside.”

Moominmamma nodded quietly, releasing Moomin and looking at him before smiling and taking Pappa’s hand. Afterwards, Pappa helped Moomin up and he led the two to Moominhouse, his arms looped around his love and his life protectively. Moominmamma was snuggled against Pappa’s side. Pappa wasn’t always the best man, but she missed his presence so much. 

Snufkin was waiting by the window with his family, waiting for the Moomins. Moomintroll smiled at Snufkin, wiping at his eyes with the heel of his paws. Pappa ushered Moomin towards the window.

“Go ahead, Moomin. You ought to go in first.” He hummed, looking over at their friends. Moomin seemed to hesitate. He knew why Pappa had told him to go first but… well… goodness, he still felt guilty. Snufkin stepped past Moomin, taking the troll’s paw.

“Come on, then.” Snufkin reassured his friend before hopping into the windowsill to help Moomin get inside with his splint. Moomin’s weight rocked dangerously on the wooden splint as he stepped onto the roof. He grabbed on tightly to Snufkin’s arms, ears lowering a bit. “It’s alright, Moomin.” Snufkin said, helping to hoist Moomin up and through the window. With Snufkin’s help, Moomin managed to make it to the floor of his bedroom without falling at all. “There.” Snufkin smiled, not bothering to pull his arms free from Moomin’s grasp, rather, moving so that Moomin would be holding his hands instead. “Welcome home.” 

Moomin was so glad to see his room again. It was still clean and, while it definitely felt stuffy thanks to the winter, he couldn’t help but be overcome by his emotions again-- fresh tears welling up in his eyes again.

“Welcome home to you too, Snufkin.” He said, voice breaking a bit. Moominmamma and Mymble Jr. were the next to come through the window-- Pappa and Joxter were out talking with Hodgkins. Little My hopped down onto the floorboards, her hair still a bit wild. She looked very happy, though. She headed straight over to the boys, looked at their hands, and immediately rolled her eyes.

“Come on you two, it’s much warmer by the fire than up here!” She stated plainly, just as brash as ever. It was a difficult sound to say the boys had missed, but they missed it nonetheless. Moomin released Snufkin and took a good look around his room before nodding and looking down at Little My. 

“Alright then. Lead the way!” Moomin said, smiling at her. Little My shrugged it off and started towards the stairs, arms crossed behind her head.

“I’m glad you two are okay, you know. It’s not like I have a ton of friends or people who care about me and, well, I’m just glad.”

Moomin blinked, looking down at her with wide eyes. “I’m glad too, Little My. I’m glad you care about us so much, you know?” My hummed in response, nodding. Silence quickly fell over the trio as they headed down the stairs. The house was so quiet, you wouldn’t have thought anything terrible had happened at all! Eventually, though, Little My spoke up again. 

“So, I’m guessing you two finally figured it out? Weird that you two needed to have been kidnapped for that to happen.” She said, already mocking them. Snufkin’s face flushed bright red and he looked at the wall. Moomin rolled his eyes.

“You couldn’t wait thirty minutes before making fun of me again, huh?” He grumbled, crossing his arms. My dropped her arms into a shrug. 

“Well, just wanna make sure you know this whole thing isn’t changing anything! Unless you want me to stop, though.” She added the last bit under her breath, but both boys heard. Snufkin cleared his throat and fixed his jacket.

“Well, I don’t think we want you to stop being yourself for our sakes. We’re both fine.”

“But you’re not fine! You’re both still all beat up!” My huffed, turning to face the two. She looked furious despite the worry that lingered in her eyes. Snufkin took a deep breath and lifted his sister. My growled. “Hey! Don’t ignore me!” She wriggled a bit but her heart didn’t seem in it. Snufkin and Moomin made it the rest of the way downstairs and set My down. She crossed her arms with a huff. “Don’t act like you didn’t hear me, jerk.” 

“I did hear you, Little My.” Snufkin sighed, looking at the fire. “And you’re right that we’re hurt. We’ve all been hurt for some time-- including you.” Snufkin stated, giving her a look. It wasn’t a harsh look, no, it was one of his unreadable looks. Little My sighed. That was somehow even worse.

“I know.” She mumbled, dragging her boot on the floorboards.

“Be sure to think about yourself too, alright?” Snufkin asked, though he didn’t wait for a response. He went to sit next to the fire. Moomin shuffled over, sitting with him. Snufkin sighed and leaned against Moomin, shutting his eyes. The dim light made the room feel smaller than usual, and the snow that covered the windows didn’t help. Little My joined them soon enough, curling up next to her brother. The three sat together, lookin at the fire and letting themselves bask in its warmth. The adults were probably in the study talking about what they were going to do now.

Personally, Moomin felt like he could sleep the rest of the winter away, but he knew he would have nightmares… Would he even be able to fall asleep? He sighed and rested his head on his paw. Everyone would have nightmares, he knew it. Moomin was unlucky enough to wake up while Snufkin was dreaming. Moomin felt just awful seeing it. It felt like an eternity had passed before the adults had come downstairs, joining the children in the den. Joxter plopped cross-legged beside Snufkin, placing his hand on his back. 

“Hey, Snufkin… How are you feeling?”

Snufkin hummed, still leaning against Moomin. “Tired mostly.” 

“Yea, I get that.” Joxter sighed, glancing over at the others. “Wanna give your friend a little space so he can go be with his parents?” He tried, turning his eyes back to Snufkin. The boy blinked and sat upright.

“Oh, sorry, Moomin.” Snufkin apologized quickly. 

Moomin shrugged fondly. “It’s fine, really.” He smiled and nuzzled Snufkin before standing up and heading over to his family Mamma and Pappa enveloped the young troll in a big hug, pressing him close to them. “I missed you so much, Mamma…” Moomin murmured, squeezing her. Snufkin watched quietly, thinking. After a moment he looked to his father.

“So what’s the plan?” He asked, voice soft. Joxter hummed, looking at Snufkin inquisitively. Snufkin sighed and looked at the fire again. “What will we do for the rest of the winter?”

The Joxter slouched a bit, resting his elbows on his knees. “I think you ought to try and hibernate. I know it’s not what we do but I can tell you’re exhausted. If it doesn’t work, you can stay up with me until things get warmer.” He offered, turning his eyes to the fire again.

“I suppose I could try. No harm in it.” Snufkin said calmly, though his gut twisted a bit at the thought. Snufkins didn’t hibernate. It wouldn’t work. Though, there really was no harm in it. He’d love to fall asleep and wake up when things were less desolate, even.

The Joxter nodded. “Most of the folks will be trying to hibernate. Better to be asleep than to be awake and paranoid, I guess. I’ll be up though, keeping an eye on things.” Joxter patted Snufkin’s shoulder in an attempt to be reassuring. Their relationship wasn’t the strongest quite yet, but Snufkin always appreciated Joxter’s gestures. After a moment, Snufkin hugged his father, his forehead resting right on Joxter’s collarbone. Joxter’s face lit up and he hugged Snufkin back, a sort-of cat-like rumbling reverberating in his chest for a split second before disappearing. Snufkin smiled a bit and released him.

“Trying not to get too soft, huh, you old cat?” Snufkin teased. Joxter scoffed and playfully smacked Snufkin’s arm. They were pulled from their moment of bonding by Moominmamma’s voice.

“Now, would anyone like some tea?” 


	35. Chapter 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the wait! I lost steam with the falling action in general and ultimately just did not like my writing in the end haha! I was almost done with a chapter when I took a break from writing entirely and I took a few days to look over what I have. It isn't great, but you all deserve a conclusion!

Tea went as it usually would (oddly enough), though the table felt much fuller with their unusual guests. Families stuck near to each other, their hearts still overcome by the joys of their reunions. Pappa sat at Mamma’s side, his paw neatly intertwined with hers. Their paws rested on the table between them. The action, as simple as it may seem, brought a wave of warmth and comfort over the two and, with Moomin sitting on her other side, Mamma felt like her home was whole again. They didn’t have many options for their food left, but there were pine needles for everyone who would be trying to hibernate. Snufkin wasn’t entirely new to eating pine needles as he did often rely on forage during his travels but Moominmamma’s preserves were good, as always-- definitely enough to make up for the otherwise bland meal.

For a while, discussion mostly stuck around what everyone wanted to do once spring came. It was a relief to speak so surely of the future for once since winter began. It was odd to say, but many of the adults ended up missing the domesticity of life. The children, of course, were looking forward to seeing their friends again and taking part in far more tame adventures. Sniff and Snorkmaiden were certainly worried about them, after all… Moomin had barely even thought of them, he was so wrapped up in what was going on! He felt awful about that. So many people were worrying about him and he didn’t even think about them at all. He didn’t say any of that out loud, though. He didn’t want to worry anyone else. 

After a while, though they got to discussing rooming situations as they ate and drank their tea. Too-Ticky would be returning to the bathhouse-- she had no time for hibernation, even after everything that had happened. Other than that, the rest would be in Moominhouse for the remainder of the winter. Mymble and Little My would be sharing a room, of course. With all of the snow that came in since Mymble had stayed to help Moominmamma, she wasn’t sure they could even find her house, let alone get inside.

Snufkin still wasn’t the biggest fan of beds, but he had shared Moomin’s bed in the past so he wasn’t entirely opposed to doing that again. When Moomin offered, he didn’t need any convincing to take it. He much preferred that than sharing a room with someone he wasn’t comfortable with or, booble forbid, alone. Being alone in his tent was far different from being alone in someone’s guest bedroom. Hodgkins would be on his own and Joxter would stay on the couch. Moominmamma and Pappa insisted that Joxter should stay in a bed, but Joxter said he didn’t want to wake anyone as he went about his business and that was that.

Everyone helped clean and cover things back up for the remainder of winter once they were through with their tea. Moominmamma was briefing Joxter on where things were as they worked-- just to be sure, regardless of how many times Joxter insisted that he would be fine. Once all was said and done, Too-Ticky took a look around the parlor, at all of her friends.

“Well, I suppose I should be off then. Rest well everyone.” She looked over at the Joxter. “And in case you ever get to be lonely, I’m staying in Moominpappa’s bath house. Anywho, I’ll see everyone in the spring.” She nodded with a smile to the Moomins before heading upstairs. Moomin waved,

“See you then Too-Ticky!” he called up after her. “Thank you for everything!” Soon she disappeared and Moomin sighed, a small grin on his face. He turned to his family, his heart feeling full at the sight of everyone together and safe once more. He hugged his mamma and pappa. “Well, I suppose we should head to bed then...” He mumbled, despite wanting to be with everyone even longer. Moominmamma nodded, petting Moomintroll’s head.

“I suppose so, dear-- I promise, we’ll have all the time in the world to be together once spring comes.” She said softly, almost as if she’d read his mind. Moomin nodded, leaning into her touch.

“I know, but everything’s all strange! I’m happy but it’s all bittersweet… I think that’s the word for it.” Moomin mumbled as Moominmamma released him, holding his muzzle.

“Yes well, I think you should rest for now. We’ll definitely be sitting down to discuss how we’re all feeling once spring has come.” He ran her thumb over his fur and planted a moomin kiss on his forehead before stepping back. Little My and Mymble headed upstairs and Joxter settled in for a nap. Despite the joys of reuniting, emotions seemed almost too overwhelming to process now that everyone had spent time together and, well, it left a feeling of emptiness that drained all the energy out of them. They just felt… depressed.

Moomin nodded and bid the others good night. He couldn’t help but notice that it seemed as though his family had just now remembered he was still injured. As he approached the stairs, he could spy Moominpappa nearly heading over to help him get upstairs but Mamma had stopped him doing so. Moomin couldn’t tell if he was glad or not that she did. On one hand he wanted to do it alone but on the other...

It was rather awkward to go upstairs the splint on. It always teetered on and bumped against the edge of the steps. It left Moomin flustered and annoyed. It was worse knowing there were people watching him slowly make his way upstairs, stuck between whether they wanted to intervene or not. Oh he wished they’d just make up their minds already! He was about to groan in annoyance when his splint banged against yet another stair, but a voice caught him just in time.

“Would you like some help, Moomin?” Snufkin offered, standing at the bottom of the stairs. Moomin turned back to see him, relief rushing over him. 

“I would appreciate that very much, thank you.” Moomin smiled weakly, leaning against the banister. “I keep thinking I’ll fall.” He explained, a bit ashamed of the fact that he couldn’t do something so simple. Snufkin waved that off.

“I understand; that splint must make it a pain.” He said as he headed up to where Moomin was stopped, offering his hand to Moomin. Moomin took it, rolling his eyes.

“Yeah, I’m sure you heard it.” He laughed half-heartedly, holding onto his friend and the banister as they made their way along. Now that he wasn’t so afraid of falling, Moomin took more time to make his steps and, while it still took a little bit to get up to his room, they made it there fairly quickly, considering. 

Moomin’s room was brighter than the rest of the house, thanks to the window leading to the outside. A bit of snow had been tracked in, but that was okay; it’d go away on its own. Moomin flopped on his bed. He was too worn out to think of cleaning up snow. He shivered at how cold his room was and shifted over onto his side, looking at Snufkin. Snufkin was begrudgingly taking off his jacket and setting it aside. His shirt was dirtied and stained. Blood, browned by time, speckled the right sleeve a bit… likely Moominpappa’s… Snufkin hesitated then, thinking. He didn’t want that so close to his skin...

“I’m sure I have something you can borrow if you’d like.” Moomin offered, sitting back up. Snufkin nodded quickly, pulling the shirt over his head and setting it aside with his jacket. It was freezing to do so, but he’d rather not look at those blood stains.

“Yes please.” Snufkin said quickly, wrapping his arms around himself. Moomin got up and headed to his dresser. He didn’t wear clothes often, but he had some dress clothes lying around, he was sure of it. Whatever it was, it wouldn’t be too thick, but it was better than nothing, he supposed. Moomin pulled out an undershirt and looked it over. It would work. 

Moomin shuffled over to Snufkin, sitting beside him and handing him the shirt. He was quiet for a moment, rubbing his knees idly, processing his thoughts into words. Slowly, he spoke. “If you wake up early, will you wake me up too?” Moomin asked as Snufkin pulled the oversized shirt over his head.

Snufkin looked at Moomin, sitting on the edge of the mattress as he pulled his boots off. “Of course, if you want me to I will.” He set his boots against the bed frame. “But you don’t need to keep me company-- I won’t be alone, after all.”

“I don’t mind! It’s better than sleeping alone.” Moomin noted, looking up at Snufkin, tail swishing against the floor. “I’m glad you’ll be staying with me..” He added, smiling with a cock of his head. 

“Yes, yes… Well… I don’t care too much to leave you alone up here.” He admitted, looking over at the window. “.. and I don’t want to be alone again for a little while. Hibernating is a good solution.” He hummed. What if the Moomins had been attacked while he slept alone? Hunted without a chance of getting out alive. Skinned or stuffed, just another novelty item for some wealthy creature who didn’t care where it came from. Snufkin didn’t want that. The Moomins were practically his family at this point! Sure he had found his blood relatives, but that didn’t change the fact that losing the Moomins would be like tearing his life in two.

Moomin’s sigh pulled him out of his thoughts. Snufkin turned to look at the troll, seeing him leaning forward, arms crossing over Snufkin’s knees as he rested his face on them. Moomin looked up at him, giving him the most genuine smile. Without words, Snufkin knew Moomin was telling him things would be alright now. It was an odd spectacle. Usually things were the other way around. Moomin still, somehow, had enough faith in people to think that this sort of thing would never happen again. Snufkin looked over at the window to obscure his face a bit.

The light that had greeted them before was all but lost to the winter’s cold. Moonlight bounced against the snow outside.

“I suppose we should get to sleep then.” Snufkin sighed, hardly able to ignore the goosebumps that ran over his arms. 

“I guess so.” Moomin said, standing back up and rolling onto his bed. The fabric was cold-- it had been sitting like this for so long. Moomin shivered, fur puffing up a bit. He curled up on his side, nuzzling his face into the pillow. After a moment, he felt Snufkin shuffling over to join him. Moomin smiled, shutting his eyes and pulled Snufkin close, pressing him into his warm fur. He only did it because he didn’t want Snufkin to get cold of course! Moomin almost snickered at his own thoughts, but he ultimately said nothing. Snufkin was quiet too, if only for a moment. Ultimately, he found himself curling into Moomin’s warmth, smiling.

“Rest well, Moomintroll.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oops, all sweet gay fluff


End file.
